Hunter's Creed
by TheKeybladeForger
Summary: There's an unspoken creed we follow as Hunters. One, never kill more than you have to to survive. Two, make use of everything. Leave nothing to waste. And three, treat all living things with respect or they'll turn against you as surely as any beast in the wild. Neither of them cares if you're a good person or not. But at least when nature tries to kill you, it's nothing personal.
1. The Color Of Darkness

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Well here we are at last! I've been talking about this for ages and here it is, the very first chapter of Hunter's Creed! For those of you who are wondering what the heck I'm so excited about that are just starting to read this as a stand-alone story there's something I'd like to explain. I've been planning to write this for a while but I've been waiting for a certain mod to release in its final version and until I created a character in Skyrim that I liked enough to write about and I finally have! If you'd like to see her visually, check out my DeviantArt. There should be a link there in my profile page. For those who are here from the Skyrim Romance site though, this is TheChronicler and I'll be sharing a special version of this story on the site which will include in-game screenshots to go along with it. But I whole-heartedly invite readers from here to check this version out too, even if you're not a member on the site or if you're only here to see what kind of story I'm writing revolving mainly around the Skyrim Romance mod. , writing this story and making this other special version is going to be a long process so I'll be more likely to update the non-screenshot version here first. Just fyi. Now without further ado, please enjoy this first chapter marking the beginning of our adventures in Skyrim together!

* * *

Chapter 1: The Color Of Darkness

* * *

 _17th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _An enormous black dragon flew right over my campsite today. Yes, a creature right out of legend. It let out a deafening roar to announce its presence to the world, a roar more thunderous than sky-shattering rumble above us, then vanished into the storm clouds. I don't know where it's going, but wherever it is it can't be good. I need to warn someone of the danger right away. I just hope they'll be willing to listen to me._

 _Honestly if it hadn't flown directly overhead or felt the surge of wind from it beating its large leathery wings that nearly knocked me over and put out my fire like the weak flame of a mere candle, I never would have believed my eyes! I wouldn't blame them for not taking me seriously. I doubt I would either if I heard it from someone...like me. Still, where in Oblivion did it come from? I thought the dragons were long since dead. So, either their total extinction in Tamriel was highly exaggerated, or there is something else much bigger going on here in Skyrim then just the civil war..._

 _It wasn't long after the dragon disappeared that I noticed the dark plumage of smoke rising from the small village of Helgen in the direction where it had just flown from. There's no doubt in my mind that this black dragon I saw was the one responsible for the devastation I saw once I made it back up there. Everything was scorched almost beyond recognition. Scarcely a single building was left standing and there was no sign of life anywhere._

 _All I've found amidst the debris so far are the bodies of countless innocents, their lifeless forms still warm only because of the dragon-fire that had burned them alive. The rancid smell of their burnt flesh made me scrunch up my nose because of how overwhelming the stench was. Sometimes my acute sense of smell is more of a curse than a blessing since it's much greater than a human's. But despite my discomfort, I'll continue my search through each of the ruined buildings for any survivors at first light. It's getting dark, and the smoke is making it hard to see even with my night vision. Surely some of the villagers escaped the dragon's onslaught, right? Until I learn otherwise, I'll hold out hope that someone is still alive in there._

* * *

 _18th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _While still searching the town for survivors of the attack I eventually discovered a journal belonging to some adventurer that was mistaken for a Stormcloak rebel. Apparently a very stupid one that idiotically spent his last moments recording the dragon attack in his journal before being killed by a falling beam in the building where he'd been hiding. He must have flung the journal out of harm's way just in the nick of time instead of saving himself. I feel sorry for him, but at least he's given me a vital clue that could lead to possible survivors!_

 _After following the adventurer's last entry about where he last saw his fellow prisoners run off to, I ended up rescuing a man named Ralof from a cave nearby. I recognized him from the brief moment our eyes met when the guards at Helgen turned me away at the gates-as most do-and a cart full of prisoners was lead inside. That's about the only interaction the two of us shared and since there was nothing else to do I was forced to camp out for the night as usual. I assumed I'd never see the man again. So, color me surprised that Ralof turned out to be one of the few who survived when he was originally brought there to be beheaded…_

* * *

 _19th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _While tending to his wounds back at my campsite Ralof told me everything that happened after I left Helgen in his own words. About the dragon attack, about Ulfric Stormcloak being one of the other captives, and about their escape amidst the chaos. It sounds like only a few others survived that he knows of, but more importantly, someone still needs to warn the Jarl of this region about the dragon attack. That's something we both agree on but for now he needs to rest, if only for one night to recover his strength._

* * *

 _20th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _Once Ralof seemed well enough to travel we made our way to Riverwood. I was actually there once a few days ago to purchase supplies at the traders. The only reason I managed to even do that was because I helped the shopkeeper get his golden claw back from a place called Bleakfalls Burrow. Lucan was so thrilled to have it back that he even gave me a discount along with the gold he paid me as a reward for my services._

 _Too bad he wouldn't buy this strange stone tablet off me too. Still, maybe I'm better off holding onto it for now since it might have something to do with what happened to me near that wall covered in strange inscriptions. After that, maybe I was hoping for too much because just like what happened to me in Helgen too, I was turned away from the inn that night. Such is life I suppose._

 _Thanks to Ralof's company though I've received a much warmer welcome this time around, surprisingly. Turns out Ralof is the mill owner's brother and she is well respected around Riverwood. At least by the local residence. Bishop however, the ranger I've seen holding up the wall of the inn several times now, I'm not sure if he respects ANYONE._

* * *

Just then there was a knock at her door and Noir abruptly closed her journal and tucked it away under her pillow in a single fluent movement. It wasn't as though she was ashamed of anything she'd written in it. But, it also wasn't anyone's business either. Least of all Bishop's…

And that's exactly who was on the other side of the door. Noir could smell him. There was a distinct scent of dust on his boots from the many roads he'd traveled, the familiar musk of cured leather, and the faint but refreshing fragrance of pine trees that clung to him. Not to mention the more recent addition of the scent of mead on his breath when he sauntered into the room.

Noir was used to smelling a similar aroma on bandits and hunters who traveled frequently through the wilderness, minus the pine trees. Although Bishop at least claimed to be a Ranger, which she assumed was a slight mixture of both. As in Bishop wasn't always necessarily _'law abiding.'_ Then again, neither was she but at least Noir only stole as a last resort. And even then, it was normally only food.

"Feeling lonely Ladyship?" he asked with a coy smile.

Noir blushed slightly but then replied, "Uh no. Besides, isn't it a bit late to be drinking? I thought you wanted to get an early start tomorrow."

Scoffing at her words Bishop closed the door behind him and sat in the nearest chair, nursing what was left of the mead in his mug as he peered up at her from the rim of it. But she wasn't fooled, Noir knew he was staring at her for the umpteenth time. It was like Bishop was sizing her up, trying to convince himself that Noir really was who she claimed to be and she was serious about helping him track down his wolf, Karnwyr.

His crisp amber eyes were surveying Noir again in a similar manner to the way they had when they first met. It happened right after she returned to Riverwood again to give Gerdur and Ralof the news that the Jarl was sending troops to protect Riverwood from another dragon attack. Because as it turned out, that black dragon was just one of many that were returning, and that stone tablet she found not only had to do with the dragons, but Noir did too because she was also something out of Nordic legend. The Dragonborn. A mortal born with the soul of a dragon with the power to use Shouts, just like Ulfric Stormcloak but without training.

Needless to say, it was no wonder Noir had a lot on her mind after the events of the past few days. Besides, Noir was also looking so forward to taking advantage of sleeping at the inn again that she blatantly ignored the two drunks on the opposite side of the road across from the inn. Noticing this, Bishop decided to point that out to her from his lofty perch near the front doors and they finally struck up a conversation for the first time. That's how things took yet another unexpected turn and Noir landed her very first traveling companion.

To be honest she wasn't sure how things would work out with him in the end but if nothing else, Noir understood better than most what it was like living without a friend in the world, trusting no one. So, if traveling together would help him be reunited with his other furry companion, then that's what mattered to Noir. Even more than any chance of a reward or a favor in return someday. That's more than a lot of people could say when offering to help someone these days.

Completely draining the mug at long last, Bishop grinned and sighing in contentment. "Now that hit the spot!"

"If you're not going to answer me then go back to your room," Noir replied in a half-joking half-serious tone.

"Patience is a virtue. One that you clearly haven't mastered yet. That, or learned the simple fact that it's never too late to drink," he laughed, rolling his shoulders and lacing his fingers together behind the back of his head. Then Bishop raised an eyebrow at Noir and continued. "So, remind me again why you of all people decided to drop whatever it was you were doing to help me. I mean you're the Dragonborn, right? I've been mulling it over since you offered to help me rescue Karnwyr from those pit fighters, but for the life of me I haven't been able to figure out why. That is, unless you only offered to help in exchange for my _'services.'_ In which case, all you had to do is ask instead of going through all this trouble."

Noir rolled her eyes at his subtle wordplay but then cracked a small smile and cleverly hid it by faking a sneeze. "Oh sorry, excuse me. I'm allergic to stupidity."

"Very funny." Bishop frowned, unamused.

Taking his question seriously now Noir sighed and cast her eyes down at her hands, searching for the right words. "I won't lie, there is another reason I decided to help you but let's be honest Bishop, there's no point in telling you what it is if you end up deciding not to stick around after we save your wolf now is there? I need to be sure that I can depend on you first. I've heard good things about you from the villagers here in Riverwood so I'm not too worried. At the same time though, despite the implications you just made, you're right about one thing. I'm not about to invest a lot of time and effort into traveling with someone who may end up leaving at the first sign of trouble. And by that, I mean the trouble I'm bound to get into from now on, not trouble from traveling with you. I am serious about helping you find your wolf but, there's still a lot I need to figure out on my own about this whole Dragonborn business with the Greybeards too. Does that make any-"

Seeing his head starting to bob slightly when she looked up because of his late-night drinking and Bishop was nodding off, Noir shook her head and stood up, walking over to him. But when Noir was about to suggest for him to go back to his room again Bishop shook himself, stretched his arms and legs, and stood up without a word. Then Bishop walked out and closed the door behind him again after saying in passing that he'd see her in the morning as more of an afternote...

Noir blinked slowly, unsure of what this action signified. Did Bishop get the answer he was looking for and left because of that? Or had something Noir said upset him? Either way at least Noir had the room to herself again and could resume reading the last few entries of her journal in peace to review everything that'd happened so far since the destruction of Helgen and discovering her new status as the Dragonborn. Although the room felt noticeably lonelier in the ranger's absence…or maybe that was his ulterior motive all along? The sly fox.

Well whatever his intentions were for making this late-night visit, it was a surprisingly nice feeling to have someone to talk to for once that didn't seem to mind that she was a Khajiit like most people. Even if he WAS still a bit infuriating at times. That, and Bishop didn't mince words just because she was the Dragonborn either. Granted Noir was still getting used to the idea herself...

She appreciated his brutal honesty in a way truth be told, because unlike other people who were like that, Bishop wasn't mean about it. At least, not the distasteful I'm-looking-down-on-you kind. Part of that was because up until now the only constant companion that Noir kept close to her were her journals, much like how Bishop had his wolf. But in a way, that only made their current relationship starting from now on even more sad. The fact that neither of them felt like they could get close to others, let alone trust each other that quickly.

While there might only be a handful of people that Noir trusted here in Skyrim, as opposed to Bishop only trusting his wolf, there were even fewer who knew of her unhappy past. At least he had someone there to listen to him, even if it was only a wolf. As for Noir, the only one who was there for her to confide in while traveling alone the wilderness, were the empty pages of a journal. Just like back _'then.'_


	2. A Road Well-Traveled

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Alright so first of all I want to let you readers know that the first special version chapter is up on the Skyrim Romance site in the forums under fanfiction, and next up, since it took longer than expected to take screenshots as opposed to just playing the game from now on I'm probably not going to do that for EVERY chapter. At least, not with as many scene for scene screenshots. Might only do that for chapters with big moments like beating Alduin and heartfelt bonding with Bishop. Speaking of which, the mod is finally out so I no longer have to worry so much about spoiling something from there in this story. Mind you, if you don't want spoilers then play the mod first but for the most part I'll warn you if a chapter contains any SRM 3.0 spoilers in the note like this. That being said I'm not following the mod word for word or encounter by encounter, I'll be following the main quest and adding character-based drama in regards to Noir's backstory. There may be times I skip time forward because I have a lot planned for this story as a whole, including the addition of an unexpected rival for her heart that isn't part of the mod. Well I've rambled long enough so enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2: A Road Well-Traveled

* * *

"Morning sunshine," Noir smiled as Bishop came to join her for breakfast, his hair even more ruffled than usual. "Sleep well?"

He grunted in reply and simply sat down beside her, ordering his meal.

Glancing at the Ranger at the corner of her eye, Noir blurted out, "Hey Bishop, about last night-"

"Don't worry about it. Believe it or not I was impressed by your foresight to keep that information to yourself until we find out whether working together is gonna work out. Frankly I feel the same way about you. Trust no one but yourself darling, that's the key to survival in this damned world," Bishop replied with an underlying bitterness in his voice that either stemmed from his hangover-induced headache or personal disdain for the world.

"Calm down Ranger boy, you need to learn to lighten up," Noir said in reply, reaching over and patting his head gently a few times before he could pull away from her. "I just think it's better to be safe than sorry that's all. Assume nothing, expect anything as I always say. I believe you can live a longer happier life by hoping for the best but always being prepared for the worse. I understand what you're saying Bishop, still, it's no fun to be so edgy _all_ the time. As you said, life is too short so enjoy the moment!"

Noir assumed Bishop's silence was a result of him eating this time so she decided to dig into her meal too, ordering some extra food supplies for the road while she was at it. Including the last freshly baked sweet roll which Noir happily stuffed in her mouth as she was packing everything up in her bag. This childish behavior of course earned her a few odd looks but Noir was used to that so she paid them no mind. Bishop even stifled a snicker behind her when he saw it too, obviously forgetting that her hearing was far superior to his…

Like most Khajiit Noir had a nearly insatiable sweet tooth. So, as a result Noir was always eating sweets like this whenever she got the chance to, even if it wasn't exactly a practical food choice. She had a few favorites treats of course. One of them was snowberries since they are plentiful and grow in nearly every environment here in Skyrim.

Eating just those had saved her life a few times when other eatable plants and hunting game was scarce. Sometimes Noir had to stop herself from picking berries from every bush she passed out of habit of doing so to survive. She would certainly have to avoid this habit around Bishop in case he decided to tease her about it.

* * *

Once they were well out of town, Noir turned on heel and asked Bishop, "Alright, from here where did the bandit's trail lead off to?"

"Their trail goes south-east of here then somewhere through the mountain pass near the border," Bishop replied briskly, his eyes on the road and ears to their surroundings. "I got caught in a blizzard while tracking them just past Helgen and was forced to make my way back to Riverwood resupply and rethink my strategy, which as you can imagine was hard to do with Drunk and Drunker making such a racket. How you managed to ignore them with those ears of yours I'll never know."

Noir shrugged and snickered. "Well when you find out you're a cat with the soul of a dragon it raises a lot of questions. A human I could understand, even an Argonian, but me? The god's must really have a sense of humor to-"

"Ugh! Who cares what race you are?" Bishop grumbled, "If you have enough skill as a hunter to track down these bandits when even I couldn't that's good enough for me. I could care less whether you really have the power to kick a dragon's scaly ass or not right now. Which reminds me, do we have to see those damned Greybeards? If you ask me going up there is a waste of time."

"It's on the way and besides, we already planned to resupply in Ivarstead once we make it through the pass," Noir replied, checking the map one more time her tail twitching at the tip as a sign of her slight annoyance with his attitude. "Helgen is gone now and it won't be long before bandits start pillaging whatever's left in there that wasn't burned to a crisp so camping there seems like a bad idea. Which means we must go further down the road if we don't want to camp out for the night. If you don't want to go up the mountain with me that badly then once we make it to Ivarstead you can either wait for me in town or we can decide on a good place to rendezvous afterwards and you can try tracking the bandits further on your own. But I have to see this thing through with the Greybeards," rolling up the map and putting it away, she sighed and looked at him meaningfully. "They're the only ones that can help me understand why I can suddenly use this ancient Nordic power out of the blue. I can use magic but to be granted such an extraordinary gift like this must mean something. I've defeated one dragon, but more are coming. We need to know why. If it was just about me I wouldn't drag you along. But this concerns everyone. The dragon threat is very real so if there's anything I can do to help stop them then I want to!"

"Well I still say you're an idiot," Bishop grinned. "I told you, good girls like you will always get into trouble thinking like that."

"Bishop!" Noir snapped, folding her ears back.

Noting the harsh edge to her voice, his smile vanished. "What? Did I strike a nerve?"

"Shh! I hear something, be quiet for a minute," she replied in a dangerously low voice, both her ears perking up and alternating directions to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

Bishop was about to complain he couldn't hear anything when a twig snapped and his body tensed, recognizing the potential threat now. Readying himself for a fight Bishop reached for his bow, ducking behind the nearest bush along with Noir then drew an arrow from his quiver. After notching the arrow, he stole a glance over at Noir, whose stature was also coiled like a steel trap ready to snap.

The Ranger couldn't help but marvel at how quickly Noir reacted and how her entire demeanor changed in an instant. At first Bishop did in fact take her for a clueless but pretty goody-two-shoes when he saw her roaming around Riverwood playing nice with the villagers but seeing her like this, Noir finally looked the part of a skilled hunter. Not to mention kinda sexy. He was almost completely transfixed by the way Noir expertly inched her way forward. Slinking around the bush once he seemed ready to watch her back, Noir's lithe body was crouched down as low as she could possibly go, her long leather boots gliding surprisingly softly and silently along the ground.

Her each and every movement reminiscent to the light footing of a saber cat on the prowl. And to be honest Bishop had never seen a Khajiit in action like this before-especially not this close up-since those who turned to banditry were hardly known for making much use of their stealth. They preferred to overwhelm travelers with sheer force, or numbers if they became part of a gang, without showing much skill or finesse in a fight. Maybe those who became thieves or assassins did but since he disliked staying in the city much in general Bishop had met more bandits then common pickpockets or things like that.

It was interesting to notice the small things, like how Noir held her slender tail erect and that helped her keep balance with ease, even while bending so low to the ground to avoid being seen in the tall grass. Bishop could tell right away now that Noir was making good use of her natural bestial instincts as their foe finally came into view. She was giving off the same vibe as a skilled predator, poised to kill if necessary. Although it wasn't until their quarry finally appeared that they knew what they were up against.

It was a common brown bear from the looks of it, clumsily turning its head this way and that wondering where they'd gone off to after spotting a possible threat or perhaps a meal following the road. The bear could still smell them even though they were just barely upwind of it. If the wind changed now, then it would know just how close they were…

 _What is that girl planning?_ Bishop wondered, barely able to make out Noir's dark fur and heavily-patched leather armor amidst the grass and other undergrowth.

* * *

Noir meanwhile simply watched the bear for a while, studying its movements and body language. Even for a brown bear it seemed thin, so either it hadn't eaten in a while or was still just a young cub. If it was the latter then the mother couldn't be far behind so they'd have to deal with that too. Still, Noir wanted to avoid a fight with it if they could. After a while, the bear started to get irritable and growled at no one in particular, perhaps hoping to scare them out of hiding so it could kill and eat one or both of them.

 _You're better off moving on to your next potential meal, trust me we're more than a match for you,_ Noir thought, fairly sure she knew its intentions now for coming over to this area.

Just then, Noir felt a rush of wind behind her as a gust of cold air carried her scent in the bear's direction! Its nose flared at once and the bear reared, trying to make itself look bigger, then blindly began charging towards the small shape it saw now hidden in the grass.

"Damn it. Hey ugly! Over here!" Bishop bellowed, releasing the tension on his bowstring and launching an arrow towards the bear to grab its full attention.

The arrow hit it squarely in the face, the cheekbone to be more precise, and roared in pain and anger. Swiping at the projectile and then snapping the thin wooden shaft in two.

Taking advantage of the opening before the bear could charge at Bishop next once he revealed himself Noir rushed forward, daggers drawn. While Bishop continued sending a volley of arrows their way-taking care not to shoot Noir by accident-she closed the distance between them and tore a wound open across the bear's upper torso, dashing back before its large paw could make a swipe at her.

Their combo had the desired effect of confusing the bear so it wasn't sure who to focus its attention on. And that proved fatal. When its wounds started getting the better of it the bear began to slow, moving backwards as if to retreat when Bishop sent a well-aimed arrow directly into the beast's temple. Noir barely got out of the way in time before the bear collapsed face forward, its lifeless and unfed jaws agape, soaking the ground with blood from its various wounds.

* * *

"Well that was fun," Bishop mused, recovering as many arrows as he could from the bear's corpse once they made sure it was dead.

"Did we really have to kill it?" Noir said, surprising Bishop a little.

Wiping the blood off his hands on a patch of clean grass, he looked at her quizzically and scoffed, "So a bear comes charging at you, intent to kill, and you have second thoughts about it? You really are a strange one Ladyship."

In response Noir simply rolled her eyes and scanned the area nearby for any signs of other wildlife before joining him as they looked over their kill. She was right about it being young but this was hardly a cub. At most it was two years old and didn't have many scars if any on its hide. Noir could only guess it's need for food outweighed the danger of being outnumbered which is why it wouldn't back down, not even toward the bitter end.

"I was hoping we could avoid killing it that's all," Noir sighed, touching the top of the bears head reverently. "Unlike people, animals don't try to kill you out of spite, for greed, or for sport. We're all the same in their eyes. Sure, that might be as food half the time, but, those feelings are raw and pure. Untainted. It's the same with love, right?"

"Love?" Bishop asked suspiciously, wondering what Noir was getting at.

Smiling warmly up at him, Noir explained, "I'm talking about your wolf. If your feelings about Karnwyr are as strong as his are about you then I can see why he's the only one you trust. I envy that." Letting out a resigned sigh Noir stood up again, pointing out a clearing nearby. "Sorry for getting all preachy there for a sec. Come on, help me move the body over there and we'll go ahead and set up camp for the night. Skinning and gutting this bear might take a while but we should make good use of the meat. If we're going to skip over Ivarstead, we'll need the extra food for the journey."

Narrowing his gaze at her, Bishop raised an eyebrow, "Whoa whoa whoa hold your horses princess! Who said anything about skipping Ivarstead? Don't you still have a date with destiny up with the Greybeards?"

Noir shrugged indifferently and laced her fingers behind her head before replying, "True, but I'm allowed to have more than one promise, right? It's not like they said I had to be there at a certain time. In fact, they barely spoke a word to me. Literally! The only reason I knew they were summoning me was because the Greybeards Shouted _'Dragonborn'_ at me from the top of their mountain according to the Jarl in Whiterun. I still plan to go but, rescuing your wolf seems more important. I'm sure they can kill time meditating or something."

Smiling, Noir set off towards the clearing to get a fire going before it got too dark. Leaving Bishop to assume the task of dragging the bear over there. Didn't Bishop make it clear before that he wasn't her slave to be ordered around? While pondering the best way to do it anyway, Noir surprised Bishop by coming back over taking a paw in each arm, looking up at him with those stunning yellow-gold eyes of hers as if silently telling him to give her a hand.

"How'd you light the fire so fast?" Bishop asked, genuinely curious.

"Magic," Noir replied, her expression neutral so that he couldn't tell if she was serious, or only joking.


	3. Lessons Learned

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Just fyi, I changed the rating to 'T' since I decided not to write about the more…intimate scenes. At least nothing THAT detailed. I'm more about their relationship developing for now anyway then worrying about the rest, but fear not there will be flirting aplenty and things will really start to kick off in the sequel where Bishop meets his true rival for her heart and Noir faces her greatest foe, the one I see as the real final boss of the game. I'm sure you all know who I mean. Also, I'm using Noir's journal entries to summarize more or less the things the two of them experience in-game into story form when I don't want to write out every single scene. Because if I do this story is going to take a lifetime!

* * *

Chapter 3: Lessons Learned

* * *

 _22_ _rd_ _of Last Seed 4E201_

 _Never a dull moment traveling in Skyrim is there? While Bishop and I were making our way through the mountain pass the day after killing that bear I spotted a horse without a rider up ahead so the two of us went to investigate. I succeeded in calming the poor animal and it wasn't long before we finally found the rider, dead. Looks like she took a nasty spill when the horse reared and broke her skull open on a boulder from the fall._

 _Well for a little while at least the horse was better off with us. Especially since its rider turned out to be a bandit, not a hunter or a traveler. We found stolen goods in her pack to confirm this. I didn't take anything from it except the essentials though, like food and some spare leather and other common things then stashed the rest in the horse's saddle bag. Good thing too because I could tell this horse was very skittish and prone to rear back at the first hint of danger. Quite frankly I didn't want to lose any of our own gear if the horse got spooked and ran off…_

 _No sooner had the thought crossed my mind again when a wolf pack attacked us after leaving the pass behind. And wouldn't you know it, just as I feared the horse flew into a wild panic while I was still on its back and kept running around in random directions while trying to buck me off. Bishop doesn't like horses-so he says but I think that was just an excuse-so he was following me on foot when the wolves closed in on us._

 _Let it be said that I DID offer to let him ride behind me though and Bishop refused. His loss I thought. Still, this one certainly proved his point about not trusting them even if it was a lie, but to be fair this was a bandit's horse and not one that from what I could tell was properly trained as a war horse. For all we knew it once belonged to some poor farmer and was only used to carrying a plow on its back, not a crudely armored bandit that was constantly forcing it to gallop headfirst into danger._

 _I barely managed to get the horse back under control the first time and rode it over to help Bishop fight off the wolves. However, the stupid horse tried to gallop off with me several more times. The third time this happened I gave up on trying to calm it and jumped off, letting the horse bolt at last and disappear into the unknown…_

 _We made quick work of the wolves after that but, Gods I'm tired! There were so many of them and it got dark before we knew it so we planned to find a cave to sleep in when we came across something better. We're taking shelter in an abandoned alchemist's shack, well, we assume it's abandoned since there are no signs of recent activity, the shelves are dusty, and most of the food has gone bad. Might be able to salvage some alchemy ingredients though, better remind myself to check in the morning._

 _At any rate, I have a feeling the bandits we're looking for that have Bishop's wolf haven't been to this area in a while because the scent is cold and otherwise those wolves we fought surely would have been caught and added to the fighting pit. I always feel guilty killing animals anyway when it's not to use their meat for food but somehow, I felt even worse killing these wolves in front of Bishop. Especially since we're trying to rescue his._

 _What was going through his head when one of his arrows landed a killing blow and the wolf made a horrible last cry of pain? Was he thinking about what Karnwyr might be enduring right now? I'm sure he's very worried about him, even if Bishop won't say it outright. While Bishop kept a steel-clad resolve during the entire fight with the wolf pack and outwardly seems unaffected by it, call it a hunch, but I think he feels just as uneasy as I do about killing those wolves. Because both of us unconsciously kept picturing his own four-legged companion each time we saw the light left their eyes._

* * *

"Hey Ladyship, what are you always writing in there?" Bishop asked Noir curiously since this time, there was no separate room to send him back to. At least he was being somewhat of a gentleman letting Noir take the bed while Bishop on the other hand unrolled a bedroll on the floor beside her.

"Always?" Noir replied, giving him an odd look as she lowered her quill.

Smirking and resting his arm on the edge of the bed, Bishop explained coyly. "Yes always. You thought you were being oh-so-clever back in Riverwood hiding your diary under your pillow but I saw it through the corner of my eye when I was finishing my drink. Don't tell me if you don't want to though. I won't force it out of you. I figure if I give you that much privacy you'll feel less inclined to ask about things I don't feel like answering either."

Closing her journal and dropping it back into her pack with her other writing tools then leaning back, Noir curled up on her side and stared at him for a minute, biting her lip. Was it ok to tell him? Bishop seemed nice enough and did a good job watching her back in a fight. So, sure, why not? It wasn't that big of a secret, then again, it was probably too soon to tell Bishop the full story about why she wrote in her journal so often-journal, not diary-so Noir settled on the simpler answer.

"I'm writing about what anyone writes about, my experiences, my thoughts, my story because…I've never had anyone to listen to them in person. Call it what you will, but let's just say it's a habit from being very lonely for a long time," Rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling of the shack, Noir continued, "Even other Khajiit's think I'm strange so as you can imagine it's been hard to make friends with the ones I've met here in Skyrim, let alone humans like you that distrust our kind anyway. I have made a few over the years but it's not like I see them often or can tell them about-"

Noir suddenly fell silent when she realized she was about to tell him too much. It was just hard not to for some reason with Bishop when this was something Noir always longed for, a friend to share her adventures with as they happened. To be with someone that she could trust in turn with her burdens and other troubles that weighed heavily on her heart, even now.

Not that they were THAT close yet, but Bishop seemed to have warmed up to her ever-so-slightly after their first battle together with the brown bear. At least he was taking Noir's skills seriously now after seeing them first hand. Maybe that's why she almost let her guard down.

The only problem was that half the time Noir wasn't sure when Bishop was joking about something or when he was being serious about feeling a certain way towards something. For example, when Noir asked Bishop if he was ok with her going off to help people on occasion Bishop told her that he thought she was stupid for being so blindly willing to drop everything just to help a stranger get their useless little trinkets back. Wasn't that exactly what she was doing for him right now?! Helping Bishop get something important back? Granted this wasn't a mere trinket they were looking for but rather a flesh-and-blood wolf but still, what a hypocrite!

"Anyway, if you're a good boy maybe I'll let you read it someday," Noir laughed, "If I catch you reading it otherwise I might just have to kick your ass."

"Noted," Bishop laughed in response to his own bad joke. "I know better than to read a girl's diary anyway."

Glancing over at him through the corner of her eye, Noir corrected, "It's a journal you goof, not a diary."

Bishop raised an eyebrow at her, "What's the difference?"

Noir opened her mouth then closed it, blinking, "Huh, I actually don't really know. I guess a diary is something you don't typically share with anyone because to most people it's strictly personal since you write more about your feelings in it than anything else in one, not just the events of the day. What about you? Have you ever kept a journal?"

"Nope. I'd much rather leave my mark on the world through my actions, not mere words left behind in some book," Bishop replied bluntly. "Surely you've realized that from now on you will be remembered by your enemies and comrades alike simply because you're a living legend. As the Dragonborn, you're going to have to fight much harder to be remembered as anything more than that. Just you wait and see. Before long you won't remember the sound of your own name because everyone will only ever call you that."

An involuntary shutter ran up Noir's spine as those words set in. It's true, there was no way that she could avoid attention from people now. Especially old enemies. Before all this Noir had to fight to be noticed or be trusted enough to help with a request from one of the many notice boards scattered across the holds. It wasn't unlikely that people might start coming to HER begging for help since who better to solve their problems then the Dragonborn herself? Not that Noir minded helping others, in fact, she looked forward to being given that kind of trust for once but at the same time, would she ever find someone who accepted Noir as who-not what-she was…?

Noir froze when she noticed the absence of Bishop's arm on the bed that was replaced by both hands on either side of her, a pair of smoldering amber eyes meeting her own. She didn't notice it when she closed her eyes, lost in thought because of Bishops words, let alone his unnervingly quiet movements that allowed him to get this close without her noticing. This was new. Not to mention bold on Bishop's part. Noir didn't take him for that kind of man otherwise she would have told him to go to Oblivion and left last night.

"Move over," Bishop ordered, his voice calm and even-toned.

"What? Why?!" Noir exclaimed, blushing bright red and forcing herself to whisper.

A wolfish grin spread across Bishop's face before the man replied, "Don't worry I'm not going to do anything funny to you. I'm not that kind of man. I thought I saw you shivering again so I decided to be a gentleman and keep you warm tonight. Besides, sleeping on the floor is far but pleasant."

"Try sleeping in a tree," Noir snapped, breaking eye contact with him and resisting the urge to use her newly found power to Shout him off to teach this arrogant ranger a lesson.

"Hey," Bishop called, leaning back and watching as Noir finally turned to face him again and let out a breath of relief she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Let me tell you something now, Noir, because I stand by what I said when we first met. This naive way of thinking you have? It's going to get a pretty girl like you into trouble. Or worse, killed. Trust me I'm not the only wolf out there in the world who wouldn't leap at a chance to devour this lovely body of yours. They'll take everything from you and not even leave you with your life once they have what they want. I know you're thinking the same thing about me, which is smart, but at least this time you've lucked out and I'm a good guy that won't take advantage of you the moment you let your guard slip, like just now. Most aren't. Now get some sleep. We didn't get much meat off that bear so we'll need to go hunting tomorrow. With any luck we'll be able to pick up Karnwyr's trail again while we're at it."

Once Bishop settled back into his bedroll on the floor, Noir huffed, "Well gee, thanks for trying to scare me straight Bishop! I'd say YOU'RE lucky I didn't Shout you through the roof after that stupid stunt," slumping her shoulders though she relented, "Still, maybe you have a point. I need to be more careful about who I trust from now on..." _Especially since once news about me being the Dragonborn spreads around to all the corners of Skyrim, I might be confronted by the shadows of my past again and I don't want Bishop to get involved. At least not until I'm sure I can trust him with everything. I know he was only trying to make a point but, Bishop was so close to me. So close that I could feel his breath on my neck and the heat radiating off his body. The only time I'm ever that close to a man is when we're locked in combat. I'm not used to anyone seeing me even as a woman, Khajiit or not. By the Gods I was NOT expected that! My heart is still racing. I better be more careful around Bishop too, since he admitted that I'm…tempting._

Declaring that she was going to bed and rolling over again to stare pointedly at the wall, Bishop chuckled and wished her sweet dreams which only made Noir blush deeper. She was going to get him back for embarrassing her like this. Yet is some small corner of her heart, Noir was flattered that Bishop not only saw her as a desirable woman, but he also called her by name for the first time. Even if people did start only calling her _'Dragonborn'_ from now on, as long as Bishop called her by name or even one of those silly pet names like _'Ladyship'_ and _'princess,'_ then maybe she could live with it. After all, it was already better than being called a _'cat'_ all the time.


	4. The Man Who Cried Wolf!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Going to have to redo part of this in-game for the special version of this chapter but I don't mind, turns out I end up taking screenshots like mad anyway whenever I'm playing so as long as I balance out the scenes I can and can't create then maybe it won't be so hard keeping up with the special version after all. Although I do feel a little weird doing the SR encounters out of order, as in how I've always played it ever since version 1.0. I always started with the Neeshka scene then traveled the normal route to where Karnwyr is by going down the passage to the right of Whiterun, you know the place with that ruined guard tower filled with bandits over the river? But anyway, I wanted to change things up this time around for the sake of this fanfic and try to translate as much gameplay as I can into their own travel choices in a way that make sense. That's why I'll be doing my first in-game SR 3.0 encounter in Windhelm even though I'd have preferred to get the Greybeard stuff out of the way instead of delaying it like this. I know I know, you guys could probably care less about my reasoning but it helps me think when I make a mental note of certain things to you readers. Still, I might actually skip the first romantic encounter entirely and pretend the character available to meet there just hasn't arrived yet or something, but we'll see how things go, have to go rescue Karnwyr first of all! XD

* * *

Chapter 4: The Man Who Cried Wolf!

* * *

The next morning once they salvaged as much as they could from the abandoned shack, as luck would have it, an elk appeared at the top of the hill behind them. As soon as they saw it their instincts as hunters kicked in and the two of them crouched so it wouldn't spot them coming up from the bottom of the hill. Noir moved much faster than Bishop even while sneaking towards the darn animal. The only upside to this was watching her hips sway at the slightest movement, the tip of her tail mirroring this fluent motion.

Bishop didn't say anything about it this time-at least not aloud-because one, they were stalking their prey, and two Noir seemed very likely to make true on her threat to send him flying over the horizon if he made a false move this morning. It wasn't that Noir didn't appreciate Bishop's concern, but she felt so cornered last night and that didn't sit well with Noir at all. This was clearly new and unwarranted territory to her. Bishop honestly hadn't expected that to be the case. Yet it made a strange amount of sense now. How even those two drunks back in Riverwood weren't taken seriously by Noir about how alluring they thought she was, to be honest it baffled Bishop a little. How could anyone NOT want a piece of that tail? Not that he'd ever felt particularly attracted to either of the beast races until now, until Noir. Was it really so wrong to let her know that…?

And besides which, Bishop wasn't so heartless that he'd turn a blind eye to the danger Noir was constantly putting herself in without even knowing it when it came to the fiercest beast of all, men. Clearly her parents never taught Noir any better. Near as Bishop could tell-not to mention her confession last night-Noir was used to taking care of herself both in the wild and amidst other people. Only with the latter her interactions with people were even less than Bishops, and that was saying something! Noir craved the acceptance of others yet was rejected often simply for being what she was. Like she wasn't even a person in their eyes. But now that Noir was a hero of legend, this damned Dragonborn, Bishop knew he'd never forgive himself if he left her completely unprepared for the reality of what everyone saw her as now. Someone to use, someone to take advantage of, someone to win or claim as a prize, and most importantly, a threat.

"Bishop? Can I borrow your bow?" Noir asked, having drawn back a bit to ask him this.

Furrowing his brows, Bishop sighed heavily and gave it to her reluctantly. "Fine. But just this once! What happened to yours anyway? I could have sworn it was-"

"It was shaken loose from my pack and broke when the horse tried to buck me off the second time," Noir replied in a hushed tone, readying the weapon with deft hands with one of her own arrows. "Next time we're in town I'll make a new one. Now shut that hole in your face and follow my lead."

Smiling impishly at him as a sign that she was past all that now Noir got into position behind a tree, coming as close as she dared to, then let the arrow fly. The first arrow hit its rear hind leg, blown off course by a gust of wind but that still ended up wounding it badly enough so that when the elk made to flee it didn't get far before a second arrow struck its chest, piercing its lung and heart. Compared to the bear they felled the day before this elk had plenty of meat on him. Then again, grass doesn't exactly run away from you unlike a predator's food source, namely other animals…

As soon as Noir returned Bishop's bow he visibly relaxed. He felt naked without his bow but at the same time he wanted to make up for going a bit too far yesterday. She clearly wasn't that kind of woman, the kind to be turned on by the mere closeness of a man's body and give into those carnal urges with the first one to offer it. Noir was clearly flustered and angry at him when he dropped those hints yet even then she didn't completely dismiss Bishop's advice because of it.

At least Noir wasn't stubborn enough to turn down free advice.

Then again, maybe what really troubled her about what he said-more than the problems themselves that he mentioned coming her way from now on-had more to do with Noir's past then her current situation. He wasn't stupid. Bishop knew she was hiding something from him but didn't seem to be keeping that from him out of shame, more like…out of concern for involving him in something dangerous. But what could be more dangerous than fighting dragons…?

* * *

"Huh, interesting…" Noir mused after picking up Karnwyr's scent a little further into the forest past the bridge over the river. "He certainly has a distinct scent from the other wolves that's for sure, do you snuggle a lot?"

"Snuggle? Pfft! What are you talking about woman? I do NOT snuggle with anyone, not even the tavern wenches unless I'm drunk enough. Why? What's he smell like to you cat-breath?" Bishop scowled, completely forgetting about his plan to not piss Noir off again when he wasn't having any luck distinguishing Karnwyr's tracks from a common wolf's.

Noir hissed at him, her golden eyes flashing dangerously. "That was uncalled for Bishop. I'm asking for a reason you know." Letting her anger dissipate, she sighed, looking a bit hurt. "Please don't call me a cat."

"Alright! Alright," he replied with a forced calm, scratching the back of his neck, "I'm sorry. We're just so close now, I can feel it! My sense of smell might not be as great as yours but there is blood in the air, both fresh and old. Their camp can't be far and you've already heard the wolf cries. Those aren't calls to arms, they're the angry demands for blood to spill for the sake of blood, not food. I swear if they've hurt Karnwyr in any way I'm going to make them regret ever messing with the pack-mate of THIS wolf."

Touching his quivering hand as it shook in anger Noir set her own feelings aside to reassure him. "Hey. We're going to find him. I promise. Besides, I just told you the scent is stronger here so it had to have been carried downwind recently. They can't have touched him. Not yet. Otherwise he…" blushing slightly, Noir smiled unsurely, "…he wouldn't smell so much like you."

Bishop blinked and looked at Noir then down at her hand cupping his as it closed around the hilt of his trusty dagger. So that's what she meant? It's true that he and Karnwyr were inseparable for long periods of time unless Karnwyr went off on his own to hunt-or mate on rare occasions when instinct overruled loyalty to his master-but were they together so much it even effected his SMELL?

True, during a few particularly cold nights when Bishop couldn't light a fire they had curled up close to retain body heat but that HARDLY counted as snuggling. As much as Karnwyr might disagree since he loved to curl up on nights like that or even just lay his head on Bishop's lap as they sat by the fire. Karnwyr loved that closeness, his master's warmth, it was soothing. As wild as Karnwyr still was at heart his loyalty to Bishop was second to none and he eagerly awaited his master's arrival so that they could hunt together and simply be together once again.

Relaxing the grip on his dagger and switching to grasp Noir's hand with the other, Bishop nodded, "Of that I have no doubt. The sooner we rescue Karnwyr, the sooner you can get back to saving the world from dragons am I right? Let's go Ladyship. I look forward to seeing how you handle a real fight."

She snorted at him, tapping him on the nose with her free hand, "A real fight hmm? Oh, ye of little faith. You haven't even scratched the surface of knowing what I can really do. Especially when I'm fighting FOR someone, not just defending myself or hunting. Saving lives has always been more important to me. Because there are too many people in this world who are willing to kill over nothing, for pleasure, for greed, or for other selfish reasons just like you said. You may think that you're only acting like this right now because you want Karnwyr back so badly or you may not, I don't know, but I don't think that's the whole truth. You're a good person Bishop. Like it or not. If you weren't then I really would have Shouted you through the roof for invading my personal space like that. I'm not as naïve as you think to what men want. But enough about that!" Pointedly lifting her tail high enough to swat his face as she turned around, Noir smirked and pointed in the direction of Karnwyr's scent and declared, "Let the true hunt begin!"

* * *

A few hours later Noir confirmed the source of Karnwyr's scent coming from a cave surrounded by the tell-tale signs of the pit fighters they were looking for, aka the bandits running the wolf pits. There were two tents out in front-fewer than what they expected but the rest were likely inside and those were reserved for whoever was on guard duty at the time. To keep the guards company there were two large cages, each with a snarling half-starved wolf inside. Neither of which were Karnwyr thankfully…

Bishop described Karnwyr to Noir so she wouldn't confuse him for one of the pit wolves if they decided to let them loose as a distraction. He was smaller than most wolves but no less fierce in a fight and smarter than those mutts too. At least if you didn't count him stupidly falling into a trap and getting himself captured this time when that's what started this whole mess.

Karnwyr was a timber wolf with a light brownish gray and white fur coat, and that alone made him different than his Skyrim cousins; he was likely born here in a pack that had at least one timber wolf in it since those were more commonly found in Cyrodil. Although Noir assured Bishop she'd know him by his scent it was better to tell her what he looked like now then have to worry about Noir killing him by accident in the chaos that they were undoubtedly about to unleash on these hapless pit fighters.

Even Noir seemed eager to paint the earth with their blood the moment she saw the first two cages. Behind their angry snarls and raised hackles, Noir saw the fear and pain in their eyes and it brought tears to hers. "This is horrible. I knew things would be bad but look at them, I can't imagine what kind of sickos would go out of their way to capture an animal like this and make it fight to the death for sport. Monsters I can understand but an animal? We need to get Karnwyr out of there and put the other wolves out of their misery. It's too dangerous to let them go free in the wild. They're too far gone and are conditioned to fight anything and everything they come across, especially each other. That's no way to live…"

"Spare me the lecture on cruelty to animals," Bishop sighed rolling his eyes before moving up closer to her and get a better view on the lone guard beneath the overhang they were surveying him from. "But you're right, we need to take out the guard then go see just how many bandits we're up against. Guess it pays to have the Dragonborn with me. Feel free to Shout a few of them into the nearest wall for me will ya? Or knock them down so Karnwyr can tear their lying throats out!"

Noir nodded then stepped back to let him take her spot with the best vantage point, "Care to do the honors Ranger?"

Drawing his bow back and pulling the string taut with a notched arrow, Bishop smiled. "With pleasure."

Time seemed to slow as the arrow took flight towards the guard and Noir watched its progress with interest to see where Bishop was aiming for. It was the throat. Not a moment later the bandit guard let out a horribly gurgled cry as the arrow shot right through his neck. Realistically Bishop should have aimed for his head but it was clear that he wanted them to suffer for what they've done to these animals, more importantly to his Karnwyr.

Once the coast was clear Noir and Bishop made their way down the overhang to the cave entrance, stopping only to make sure the guard was dead and see if he had any cage keys on him. Sadly, he didn't, but then again why would he need them on guard duty? One of the other pit fighters was most likely in charge of wrangling the _'new bloods'_ to throw into the pit and bet on. There were probably more cages inside and these were for the more recent captures, the winners were kept inside to continue fighting until they died much like this man by drowning in their own blood.

They already talked about this, these wolves were too dangerous to let loose again because unlike the ones they encountered before, these wolves did not kill to feed their pack, they killed to survive and could no longer tell the difference between the basic need to hunt and the senseless slaughter they were forced to take part in. The two wolves in the front of the cave became eerily calm as Noir approached the nearest cage…

Her insides went as cold as the rusted metal Noir gingerly placed a hand on, ever watchful of the dangerous occupant inside of course. Looking into the wolf's earthy brown eyes Noir couldn't help but remember a time when she too was trapped like an animal, fearful for her life and uncertain about her fate as it was completely in someone else's hands.

But things were different now.

Noir was in control of her fate and had the power to protect and help people. However, she couldn't help those who were already broken like this. There was a deadness in the wolves' eyes that told her that they were nothing more than feral beasts that needed to be put down. As much as that knowledge hurt to admit even when it was only about an animal that didn't deserve to be treated this way, it might only be a small measure to reduce the threat travelers would have to face on the road then that was worth making this sacrifice for.

She picked the locks and killed them as painlessly as possible but Noir's heart still ached for them if only for a moment before straightening up to focus on the matter at hand. Karnwyr wasn't like these wolves, his bond with Bishop wasn't something so easily broken. He would fight to the bitter end just to keep hope alive that his master would come, no matter what. Noir believed that with all her heart. In fact, she prayed they were not already too late.

* * *

After killing a second guard inside that was more likely an usher to the gamblers, Bishop asked, "You alright Ladyship? Your lips look pale. It's the only part of your skin I can tell when it changes color under all that fur."

"I'm fine," Noir replied taking the key ring off the second bandit's corpse. "He's close now, I can smell him. Let's go."

"After you," Bishop offered and this time Noir didn't argue. She wanted to get this over with and as far away from these cages as possible, they were stirring up painful memories and being distracted by them now could prove fatal.

They were both surprised by how quickly they found him. Karnwyr was stuffed into a small cage forced into an even smaller gap in the cave wall. There was barely enough room for him to lay down without having to push his paws through the bars to fit comfortable. He was thin certainly, Bishop and Noir expected that much since food was only given as a reward for winning a pit fight but they were surprised to see how relatively untouched Karnwyr was. His fur wasn't matted or torn from bite marks and there weren't any dried blood stains. So…why weren't they using Karnwyr in the pit fights like the other wolves?

His ears perked up the moment he caught a whiff of Bishop's all-too-familiar scent and he leapt to his feet, tail wagging like mad as they approached the cage. The wolf tilted his head curiously when the strange looking Khajiit entered his field of vision. They'd met a few cat-people before when trading furs or buying something from the caravans but this was the first time Karnwyr had seen his master travel with one. She had his scent on her too so at least for now Karnwyr assumed she was a friend and sniffed her boot as Noir unlocked the cage with one of the keys. He resisted the urge to jump on Bishop and lick every inch of his face but Karnwyr still nuzzled his master when he knelt down to look him over.

Bishop scolded him for causing so much trouble but the relief on his face was so unmistakable that Noir smiled, happy for them both. Even Karnwyr seemed to be grinning from ear to ear in his own wolf-like way. While scratching his wolf behind the ear the way he liked it, Bishop looked up at Noir, his expression hardening into rage as he said, "Let's make these sons of b***** pay!"

With a nod, Noir drew her daggers, turning around slowly to face the small tunnel leading to the main chamber where they could hear the din of bandits and gamblers alike mixing in with the sound of tearing flesh and snarls as one of their pit fights was commencing, ears folded back and her own hackles raising, then she replied, "I agree. Let's end this cruel operation once and for all."


	5. All Sorts Of Trouble

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Phew, what a long chapter this is! Holy crap a lot happened in my last session of gameplay and I even had to leave a few scenes out because it was too much to add and translate into story form. Also, I hope this journey hasn't been boring for you guys since it feels like I'm skipping a lot of the full action scenes. Then again, this story is more about the relationship blooming between these two rather than it being entirely action packed. Those of us who have played Skyrim have all been through the main quest a million times so you can understand why I want to get through it faster by summarizing things that happen in-game. Well either way here's a new chapter for you all marking the end of the quest to rescue Karnwyr. Finally! I know this is only chapter 5 but between playing and writing each chapter it feels longer in retrospect, especially when I have so much in store and haven't even gotten to the other SR 3.0 encounters yet. Spoiler but I decided to skip the Windhelm encounter after all and will save that for later, possibly until the truce portion of the main quest when you pick up Ulfric. Who knows? Hope you're liking it so far, and be sure to check out the special version with screenshots on the main Skyrim Romance website! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5: All Sorts Of Trouble

* * *

They made short work of the bandits and gamblers and compared to Bishop, since Noir and Karnwyr were in the thick of it it really showed. Both were covered in large splashes of blood, Noir more so than Karnwyr. Although, Bishop wasn't sure who looked more menacing with their fangs bared. The two of them looked equally as fierce and Noir made sure each and every bandit and gambler was dead before she visibly relaxed, turning her attention to Karnwyr.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed a wound on his left paw gushing fresh blood and knelt down to check the wound. Karnwyr however eyed the cat-woman warily at first, still deciding whether she was trustworthy or not. Bishop pretended not to watch their exchange as he looted the bodies for gold and anything useful then kept to the shadows in the small passage that led to the ring-leaders base of operations where the rest of the wolf cages were along with a large chest, bedroll, and a work table littered with ingredients and small bottles of skooma.

"Shh, it's ok boy I'm not going to hurt you. See?" Noir smiled, sheathing her daggers and reaching forward so Karnwyr could sniff her hand. She paused whenever Karnwyr's lips curled or he pulled his head back but Noir was patient and was finally rewarded by a curious sniff on his part then a tentative lick.

Noir flinched a little when even that small lick agitated a wound on her own hand but once she felt she'd earned enough of his trust Noir gentle pet his head, smiling when the wolf leaned into her touch and wagged his tail then glanced down at his paw again. Normally, Noir only used healing magic as a last resort, however since she didn't know if his temperament was as bad as his master's and didn't want to fight to get a proper bandage on the wound. Therefore, she led him a little further in and cast a healing spell over him. At least he didn't mind the sudden use of magic and wagged his tail even faster once the wound closed and Karnwyr felt much better.

"Good boy," Noir beamed, her own tail flicking slightly before she looked over at Bishop who was giving her an odd look. "What? Surprised I can use magic? I said so, before didn't I?"

Shaking his head, Bishop unfolded his arms and walked over to them briefly glancing at her handiwork on Karnwyr's paw then up and down her body, most of which was covered in blood. One perk of being a Ranger, using long ranged attacks means you're less likely to get blood stains on your armor. Since Noir fought in close quarters though with her daggers that didn't work out so well in keeping one's armor tidy and blood free. Then again, her armor was nothing but a bunch of leather scraps patched together to make clothing and was in serious need of replacement. Hopefully with the gold and treasures they would get from here she could pay for it. Or at least the supplies to craft new armor out of better material.

"It's not that. I'm impressed, I didn't think a woman like you had it in you," Bishop grinned, both because he really was impressed and secretly because he was relieved that her own wounds were mostly superficial aside from a few cuts on her hands.

Rolling her eyes Noir laughed, "I told you I have many talents, Bishop. So…what now?" Feeling a bump against her leg as Karnwyr leaned against it, nosing her hand with his wet nose so she obliged and started petting his head again. "I'm glad we saved Karnwyr in time. I was starting to wonder if-" shaking her head, she dismissed whatever she was about to say before. "Nevermind. I guess we should have talked about it before when we had the chance."

"About what? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts," Bishop replied with a sly wink. "We had a deal. You help me save my wolf, then I help you with that other oh-so-secret reason you offered to help me besides the goodness of your heart sweetness. And I'm nothing if not a man of my word. For now, let's gather whatever we can to pawn off in town. I think after that fight the three of us deserve a warm bed and a cold drink."

"So, you're coming with me?" Noir asked, kneeling again and scratching Karnwyr behind both ears which made the wolf positively melt into her embrace.

Snorting, Bishop mirrored her actions earlier and bopped her on the nose. "Don't act so surprised. That's what you wanted isn't it? You've proven you can handle yourself in a fight more than once and I look forward to seeing what other surprises are in store and what kind of trouble we can get into along the way. Why, I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun."

Laughing, Noir purred, "Oh I'm going to get you into all sorts of trouble."

"Ah, I'm looking forward to that," Bishop replied suggestively.

* * *

"Why didn't you heal those injuries too like you did for Karnwyr?" Bishop asked Noir quizzically with a raised brow as he watched her bandage up her hands with clean linens.

Shrugging then tying off the end of the bandage she was working on with her teeth, Noir replied, "No reason. Maybe I only like using magic as a last resort and prefer to do the rest the old fashion way. What about you? Any injuries?"

"Me? HA! Those fools were dead before they could so much as lay a finger on me," he boasted, earning an annoyed snort from Karnwyr as if to say, _'yeah right, more like I beat you to them while you were notching another arrow.'_ "Well alright you helped but I did most of the work!"

Noir giggled at their childish exchange then sat down beside Bishop by the fire. They decided to stay there for the night after clearing out the bodies since it was late and it made more sense to make use of the camp already set up out front then search around on their own for a safe place to pitch another. This cave was about as safe as they were going to get tonight.

"You know as well as I do Karnwyr would have torn off any bandage we put on that paw the first chance he got," Noir explained further. "Believe me, it's hard to keep bandages on any animal since they don't like something foreign tied around them, its unnatural. So, I figured it be easier to just heal it with a spell that's all."

Yawning and leaning back against the tree behind him, Bishop relented. "Fair enough. I'm not a big fan of magic myself but good to know you can use it."

Not sure if that was an accusation for keeping it secret or just Bishop stating the facts on something new he'd learned about Noir, the two of them turned and watched Karnwyr eagerly devour the venison chop they gave him from that deer she killed earlier that morning. He certainly deserved some fresh meat after being half starved by those damned bandits to condition him to fight for his meals.

"Hey Bishop?"

"Hmm?"

"How long was Karnwyr missing again? Days or weeks?"

Thinking about his answer, Bishop frowned, "A week and a half at most. Why?"

"Well," Noir pointed out one of the bodies of the other pit wolves they killed before. "Compared to those wolves, Karnwyr is only skinny. There weren't any signs of old wounds on him from beatings or a single hair out of place. Don't you think that's a bit odd?"

"Yeah but who cares? Maybe when they couldn't get him to fight the other wolves they decided it might be better to sell him off or skin him and just hadn't gotten around to it, the b*****. You know how people are about pelts with uncommon fur colors."

Her ears visibly drooping, Noir stared blankly into the fire and replied, "That I do…"

Closing her eyes, an unpleasant memory filled her thoughts and she had to resist the urge to shutter in disgust in front of Bishop. But she was safe to let her mind wander now that the battle was over at least. Not that Noir wouldn't rather be thinking about anything else at the moment.

Feeling a sudden weight in her lap, Noir's eyes fluttered open and she noticed Karnwyr's muzzle there, whining softly. "Aw, you worried about me? Or are you just as needy as your master when it comes to having the full attention of the ladies?"

"I heard that," Bishop grumbled from his perch by the tree.

Noir just laughed then pet Karnwyr's head, feeling soothed by his warmth. "I think I understand now why you told me Karnwyr isn't a pet, even if he clearly enjoys being doted on like one. It wasn't because you were trying to convince me I can't pet him, it's because you see him as a friend, not just some animal you tamed and own. He's your equal. Someone you trust to watch your back. Karnwyr saved me a few times during the fight too which surprised me since we've only just met. Now this?" She gestured down at Karnwyr's head in her lap looking completely content as if they've known each other their whole lives and not just a few hours. "Being a stranger is one thing but I'm also a cat and normally dogs bark and snarl at me even when I'm nice to them. Same with people. Damn, I'm doing it again…"

"Doing what? Putting yourself down for being a Khajiit? It IS getting a bit old princess," Bishop shrugged. "You can't change what you are and neither can they so screw 'em. I told you, playing nice gets you nowhere. It has nothing to do with what race you are. All I know is that you're a capable warrior who isn't going to kill us in our sleep. I know that, and Karnwyr knows that. So, who gives a s*** about anyone else?"

"Thanks Bishop," Noir smiled, nodding over at one of the two bandit tents. "I'll take the first watch, you go to bed first. See you in the morning."

With a nod, Bishop stretched and picked the tent right behind Noir and called Karnwyr over. He perked up immediately but whined at having to move from his comfortable position. That didn't stop him from curling up at Bishop's feet the same as always, leaving Noir by her lonesome again. But she didn't mind. Because at least for now Noir wasn't alone anymore.

Once Noir was sure the two of them were asleep, she pulled out a worn tunic from her pack that was admittedly too small for her now. It was better than nothing and Noir wanted to try getting the blood out of her leather armor until they made it to Windhelm where she could finally replace it. Bishop was right. Word must have spread by now what the Dragonborn looked like so if the guards tried to turn her away, all she had to do was tell them who she was and surely, they had enough respect for their own legends to overlook who was that living legend in this era. Plus, Bishop would be there to back her up.

* * *

 _24th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _The trip to Windhelm was almost if not more eventful than the trip to save Karnwyr. No sooner had we left it far behind carrying as much loot as we could stuff into our packs then something caught my eye by the roadside. It was a dragon burial mound according to Bishop. An empty one at that…_

 _Even though I've been in Skyrim for a long time there were still new things to learn if this was anything to judge by. There was one thing was for sure, this had something to do with the dragons coming back and I had a very bad feeling about it. The Greybeards were waiting for me up on the Throat of the World, with answers, with guidance. And where was I? Still on the road even further from them than before._

 _A new sense of urgency filled my breast once I understood the significance of that empty burial mound that I failed not notice the two bandits heading towards us in the morning fog. Luckily for me Bishop and Karnwyr were watching my back and brought my attention back to our surroundings just in time. Karnwyr's fangs embedded themselves in the arms of the female bandit while I lunged at the second one, a male nord who charged at me with his axe. Charging at him in turn with one my daggers, I killed the man by stabbing him in the side. I didn't notice one of Bishop's arrows pierced the bandit's neck until the fight was over. Guess it was a trend with him or something._

 _Either way, Karnwyr sat proudly beside his own kill while Bishop and I checked the other body. We found a note from someone named Camilla describing a newly unearthed ruin in Eastmarch leading into the Velothi Mountains. Jerk was telling him to bring good gear and suggested robbing someone for it. Too bad for him and his other partner they chose the wrong people. This might be worth looking into later and the prospect of exploring a ruin no one else had yet sent excited shivers down my spine. But no, it would have to wait. We had more important things to worry about…_

 _Shortly after that we found the dragon from the burial ground, who was very much alive and fierce. We got some unlikely help from a Giant it had chosen to attack with a camp much too close to the roadside given there was a destroyed horse carriage with goods littered everywhere. The horse and driver were both dead, though it appeared that the Giant killed them long before the dragon showed up. Poor fool._

 _Well, at least Bishop definitely got the chance to see me in action against a dragon first hand much sooner than he thought. It was certainly a tough fight. But we won in the end, even Karnwyr got a decent bite or two out of the dragon's hide. Have to give that wolf credit for being so spirited against such odds, both of them. I couldn't be prouder of my boys._

* * *

 _25th of Last Seed 4E201_

 _We didn't make it to Windhelm yesterday like we hoped and ended up staying at the inn in Kynesgrove last night. Not that I wanted to stay overnight in the city per say, I just wanted to sell our loot and resupply for the journey ahead back in the direction of Ivarstead to see the Greybeards. Not to mention craft some warmer armor. I'm freezing my tail off here so far up north! I haven't been this north since I escaped a certain someone and preferred the regions down south amidst the grassy hills and lofty trees to nap in._

 _Bishop made fun of me for getting so easily chilled but he's a Nord! He's used to this! After all this time, you'd think I would be too yet I've had no such luck even with my 'built in fur coat' as Bishop put it. Besides, my armor was worn out and haphazardly patched all over and not built to withstand this kind of cold weather. I really needed some better gear. Thankfully with the gold we made selling off a few dragon bones and the other loot we've gathered along the way I could afford the supplies I needed to craft new armor. In fact, I made two sets. One for this colder weather, and a better set for the warmer climates._

 _I thought I would feel sad saying goodbye to that older armor of mine that looking back I kept much longer than I should have. Maybe I was just hesitant to wear any armor I looted off a corpse because of having to carry the scent of its owner on my fur. Anyway, I felt liberated once I threw the old leather armor away, reborn, and ready to improve my standards of living from now on. No point in reusing any of that old leather when we had plenty of new leather left over from the wolves we pelted and other wildlife. Still feels odd carrying wolf pelts around now that we've rescued Karnwyr but then again, I feel the same about saber cat pelts. Silly I know but that's how I feel._

 _At least Bishop was right about news of me having spread this far which is why we were allowed into Windhelm in the first place. The guards looked ready to tell me to hit the road when I lowered my hood and they saw the_ _'black Khajiit woman who was the Dragonborn that killed the dragon in Whiterun along with the Jarl's men.'_ _I've never felt this way before, respected and feared. Not sure which of those the guards felt towards me but they let us in without the usual hassle I was used to dealing with. Needless to say, we weren't going to press our luck. Once we sold off and bought everything we needed Bishop, Karnwyr and I made our way back to Kynesgrove since we had just enough daylight left to make it back and we're staying the night again._

 _The lady innkeeper seemed excited when we went out of our way to stay here rather than rent a room at the inn in Windhelm since that was what usually happened. This wasn't exactly the smartest place to build an inn when the safety of a city was just down the road. Needless to say, she was glad of our business and gave us an excellent meal as well as her best room for the night. I for one am thinking of making this the inn of choice whenever we're in the area. After all, Windhelm is such a cold place. And trust me, it's not because of the snow._

 _On a more serious note, facing that second dragon-I mean third if you count the black one-unsettled me. I recently told Bishop all about what happened in Helgen, saving Ralof, and how I found out I was the Dragonborn in Whiterun leading up to us traveling together and he shares my concerns. Not so much because he's worried about other people getting hurt but rather he's worried about the dangers we'll have to face on the road ourselves._

 _I wish Bishop would act so heartless when it came to others and their troubles but that's who he is, I can't change that overnight. What I can do is show him that there are certain unseen rewards that come from helping them too. Things he's probably never felt before. Things that I hope he feels whenever he is looking out for me. That feeling of being able to shape your fate and the fates of others, seeing that in the face of all the forces working against us in the wild and amidst people, we can make a difference and defy it._

 _I have already defied one fate I thought was set in stone in my youth. And now, I am making my own path towards a destiny I'm more than willing to embrace because I want to protect as many people as I can from these dragons. I want to protect the world Bishop lives in even if he can't see just how beautiful it is beneath the ugliness he sees in the dirt rather than the brilliance of twin moons shining down on us._

 _So, if we manage to reach the foot of the mountain tomorrow, I hope Bishop will see the adventure of the climb where we'll be close enough to touch the heavens once we reach the top instead of the hard work it will be trekking up the entire 7000 steps to get there. Don't get me wrong, I know it's going to be tiring. Yet the adventurer in me can't wait to get that far and see what the Greybeards have in store for me in their hallowed halls._


	6. A Shared Secret

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Just fyi, I always try to write my own spin on what Noir says as the generic Dragonborn when main or side quest dialogue options appear in-game and sometimes I can gloss over the conversation altogether. This also applies to a few of her normal/flirt conversations with Bishop. However, I'll be adding important lines of dialogue from the main romantic scenes/conversations directly from the Skyrim Romance mod and a few other mods I have installed such as Clockwork Castle. I don't claim that any of the in-game dialogue taken from these as my own or anything like that, I'm doing this is purely for fan fiction purposes. So when I write something word for word from the mod it's NOT because I can't think of anything original to write. I just like how the scene plays out in the actual mod story-line. So, anyway, long story short I'm not plagiarizing the mod content from SR 3.0 in ANY way. I've been able to avoid most of the romance and get-to-know-the-ranger scenes so far but now that Karnwyr has been rescued I've already experienced a certain major scene that will begin to kick things off as far as revealing more mod content goes. But there are still a few other in-game scenes I need to get out of the way first. Scenes that are hard to make completely my own which is why I'm telling you guys this in a note to explain. Hopefully you understand and won't get mad at me for this. Then again this is only a fanfic so I shouldn't have to worry too much. Sill I wanted to get this out there before someone complains about it.

 **P.S.** Also, holy crap are you guys in for a long chapter! 10 whole pages worth! And that's still after trying to simplify the things that happened to me in-game. Hopefully the next chapter will be shorted but get us to the first milestone of the main quest.

* * *

Chapter 6: A Shared Secret

* * *

"If I'd known how much lighter I would feel I would have made new armor sooner," Noir commented as she put on the warmer set of armor she made yesterday, giving it a girlish twirl before leaving the room, her tail swishing happily.

Bishop was already up feeding Karnwyr since he still had a bit of weight to regain after the whole captured-for-pit-wolf-fights ordeal. But at least they both seemed more at ease now that they were together again. She watched them for awhile, smiling to herself when Karnwyr caught her scent and barked in greeting when Noir came out, making Bishop look up as well.

"Well well look who's awake. And here I thought you were the early bird of the two of us," Bishop laughed, tossing Karnwyr the last bit of meat from his hand and straightening up. Then he leaned over and grabbed his pack, heading for the door. They'd finished all their shopping yesterday so there was no reason to linger. That didn't stop Noir from saying goodbye to the innkeeper and buying a few apples to snack on along the way.

"Hey Bishop? Think fast!" Noir called mischievously, tossing an apple in his direction in a wide arch.

Normally, his reactions were razor sharp but something must have been on his mind because the apple amply bounced off the top of Bishop's head and he stumbled forward a few steps before clumsily catching it with both hands. Turning to glare at Noir indignantly, Bishop rubbed the sore spot on his head and complained, "Oi, watch it Ladyship."

"Sorry Bishop, I really thought you'd be able to catch it," Noir chuckled, barely able to contain the urge to laugh at him for being such a klutz. Walking up and gently patting his head once his own hand was out of the way, she cast a quick healing spell to dull the pain and hoped he wouldn't notice. Still, it was so funny seeing Bishop slip for once, proving that even he made mistakes sometimes. "In my defense, YOU need to pay more attention. If that had been a rock and not an apple you'd be eating dirt instead. Is something on your mind? You seem distracted."

"Depends on what you mean by _'something'_ princess," Bishop replied coyly.

Rolling her eyes and swatting the back of his head now that it was healed, Noir snorted, "Oh shut up and eat your apple. We've got a long way to go if we want to get to Ivarstead before dark."

Smirking in his usual smug way, Bishop replied dramatically, "As my lady commands."

* * *

After backtracking to Windhelm to cross the bridge heading west, the three of them followed the road a ways then turned to follow the road southwest to Ivarstead. They were attacked by a few wolves along the way and Noir still felt a bit guilty about killing them but it seemed like Karnwyr was more concerned about protecting his _'pack'-_ which now consisted of both Bishop and herself-then caring about whether he was attacking his own kind.

Karnwyr was such a sweetheart despite Bishop's warnings that he wasn't a pet. He always came to check on them after a fight, looking proud of his kill as he wagged his tail and waited beside it until it was time to move on. It was funny how much Karnwyr's personality mirrored Bishop because he was the same way with Noir. Bishop was always checking to make sure she didn't hurt herself too badly and followed close behind to protect her from danger. This was a good feeling. The feeling of being a part of something, sharing the task of keeping an eye out for enemies instead of constantly feeling on edge when so much as loose leaf brushed past her ear…

Their journey together was very enjoyable, almost quiet were it not for the last several wolf attacks. But then out of nowhere they were suddenly attacked by a rogue high-elf mage who rushed at Noir from behind a tree just before they reached another bridge leading back across the river, sending a searing bolt of lightning in their direction. Neither Noir nor Karnwyr had caught his scent before then. It was hard to smell anything distinct in the humid air wafting in their direction from the geysers in the hot springs below. The three of them were just past the Giant camp where they killed their first dragon together as a team. Only now they were further up the mountainside on the other side traveling on a different road towards Ivarstead.

At first Noir thought nothing of the fight, supposing this was just some rogue mage robbing travelers, when she noticed something odd. He wasn't trying as hard as most rogue mages do to kill them and instead focused all his attention on Noir whenever her two annoying companions allowed it. That's when Noir realized that this mage was missing her on purpose and seemed intent on wounding rather than killing her. The pattern of his attacks and the way he kept trying to open a path past Karnwyr and Bishop to reach her suggested so.

But that would mean-was this mage…seriously thinking he could capture them? Another tell-tale sign of his intentions was that the mage didn't utter a single insult their way like most brigands do during. He was silent and focused, realizing too late he wasn't up for the task when Noir decided to end his little game by dodging another lightning bolt, knocking him to the ground with a deafening Shout, kicking off the ground to stab him in the stomach before he could recover his footing.

The elven mage let out a gurgled cry and collapsed to the ground again, out of magic and out of luck. Even so, a horrible feeling formed in the pit of her stomach when she took a closer look at the dying man. He seemed familiar. But even if he was familiar why should that bother her? Unless…

"I…should have known…" the mage weakly cackled with his dying breath. "So much for…an easy…job. _'Bring her to me or else'_ he says, as if he didn't know his little pet was the Dra…guuulgh…"

Whatever he'd been about to say died on his lips the moment he did. His withered voice had been no higher than a whisper so thankfully Bishop didn't hear a word of it and was already preoccupied with regathering as many arrows as he could that were still usable from the ground.

Noir heard it though, every single word, and she refused to allow her rising suspicions about who this mage was working for cloud alert Bishop to there being more to the attack than the usual. The mage said so himself, she WAS the Dragonborn and thanks to her new abilities Noir had little to fear from her old enemies or even new ones for that matter. Regardless, Noir hoped she was wrong about which old enemy had at last caught wind of her once again after all these years. Someone who was not so easily forgotten…

* * *

Noir didn't let the incident with the elven mage disturb her or show it outwardly and as a result Bishop wasn't especially concerned about it either. They merely looted the body afterwards for anything useful then Noir surprised Bishop by going out of her way to drag the corpse over to the edge of the cliff before tossing the body right over the waterfall. Usually Noir was more respectful of the dead, even those who were their enemies, so this open display of distain was totally unexpected coming from her. Then again that mage WAS being an annoying pain in the ass that took forever to kill. And that ended up wasting valuable daylight so maybe Noir was just getting irritated by the extra delay in making it to Ivarstead before dark and decided to take it out on the dead guy.

After killing their first dragon together Bishop noticed Noir's renewed sense of obligation to put a stop to the threat they posed that filled her glowing yellow eyes like dragon fire. She still took most things in stride, slowly opening up to Bishop too by teasing him back, and it was amusing to make fun of how exceptionally happy Noir got over something as simple as finally upgraded her gear. But throughout their time together, that urgency Noir felt about going up the mountain to meet the Greybeards never really went away.

Bishop could only guess why Noir thought seeing them was so important. It wasn't like Noir owed them anything, let alone had any reason to save any of these ungrateful b****** in the first place. If it were up to Bishop he'd find other ways to preoccupy his lovely companion in ways that didn't involve anyone else. Whether it was reminding her of the thrill of adventuring in the wilderness, embarking on a dungeon diving spree, or venturing into old ruins in search of secrets and treasures, Bishop wanted nothing more than to show Noir just how great traveling with him could be now that she had proven herself in his eyes.

Noir dutifully kept her promise to focus on rescuing Karnwyr first instead of going to see the Greybeards straight away, but now it was she was getting anxious because of the spike in dragon attacks. It made Noir…for lack of a better word, fidgety. Which was why getting there now was all she could think about before something else delayed their arrival at least to Ivarstead today.

As time went on, her ears perked up at the smallest sounds as she urged them on, desperately hoping to at least make it more than halfway to Ivarstead by sundown. Especially since it would be difficult to find a safe place to camp here in this mountainous region. Watching from behind, Bishop noticed how her tail kept flicking from side to side with annoyance which sorely tempted Karnwyr to nip at it playfully a few times. However, after giving Karnwyr a look and shaking his head, his four-legged friend took the hint and silently padded over closer to her, nudging Noir's hand every so often as a sign of concern in his master's stead…

When they made it to a road sign indicating that they were more than halfway there at last Noir heaved a sigh of relief and pointed it out to Bishop with a bright smile. "Finally! I thought we'd never make it this far. I think we can afford a short break here for now. I'm starving. Let's find a safe place to relax and then we'll-"

Behind them, Bishop and Noir failed to notice Karnwyr crouch down, lips curled into a snarl, then rush towards a mountain goat he spotted mere yards away from where they were standing. He was already way ahead of them as far as catching some lunch. Karnwyr even killed the second goat that foolishly wandered into his field of vision as well for good measure. Looking at each one of his kills then over at Bishop, peering at his master as if to say, _'the other one is for you'_ Karnwyr picked the first one he killed and started tearing off large chunks of meat. Leaving the other one for them.

"Whelp, looks like he's got the lunch part covered," Bishop laughed, walking over and taking the second goat, loosely slinging it over one of his shoulders.

Noir tilted her head and considered the goat for a minute or two then shook her head, "If it's all the same to you I'm actually more in the mood for some fish. You two go ahead and enjoy your goats. Now that the fog has cleared it's easier to see our surroundings and look, there's a pond just over there too. That's sure to have plenty of fish in it."

"What, are you too good to share a meal with wolves' ladyship?" Bishop joked. "Meat is meat so better enjoy it fresh whenever you can. Who knows when we'll have to go hunting next."

"Pfft, fish are made of fresh meat too you know!" Noir pouted teasingly, making her ears droop on purpose then stuck her tongue out at him. "You have your meat preferences and I have mine. So there!"

Relieved to see Noir was finally in a better mood again, they waited for Karnwyr to finish his own meal-or at least bring what was left of it with him-then found that nice spot tucked away on the side of the road with a small pond full of fish she pointed out earlier. And as luck would have it, there was also an abandoned beehive beside it. Karnwyr found it while sniffing around the pond so now they could treat themselves with something sweet too after their meal.

Noir looked just like a real cat, possibly a bear, as she snatched the fish out of the water one by one with her bare hand as if swiping them with a paw. She looked so adorably childish and playful doing it that it was hard for Bishop to remember that Noir was in fact the almighty Dragonborn. Bishop watched her and Karnwyr for a while similar to how Noir watch him back at the inn in Kynesgrove while setting up a small fire to cook the other goat on using a make-shift spit.

Once Noir grilled her own fish on a flat stone over the coals, Bishop ate as much of the goat meat as he could then gave Karnwyr the scraps as usual. And he was amazed at how much better it tasted. It wasn't as though Bishop cooked it any differently so why? Could it be because of Noir? Was it because for the first time in years, Bishop was willingly sharing a meal with someone he was beginning to trust besides his wolf…?

* * *

Figures that the calm moment they shared before during lunch turned out to be the _'calm before the storm.'_ Because not even a few yards away from where they were beside the pond, Noir noticed a cave entrance nearby that was crudely decorated with dried bones caked with old blood on a pair of spikes driven into the earth. Since she was feeling a little more adventurous now that they were within reach of their goal and there was plenty of daylight left Noir suggested they all go inside and see what awaited them in the darkness. It was still early noon so Noir foolishly assumed they'd have plenty of time to get back on the road and still make it to Ivarstead before dark.

Boy was she mistaken.

The cavern proved a lot deeper and the situation more complex than they thought. In fact, it was similar to the cave where Karnwyr was held prisoner by bandits. Only this place didn't stop with just wolves. There were cages filled with all sorts of animals, including a saber cat, and the bandits even fought each other for gold from the look of things. Either way it still complicated things.

For the most part, using Noir's new crossbow-since it was a weapon she always wanted to try out-and Bishop's normal bow, with their combined efforts to silently take out their enemies they took out most of the bandits up until they reached the large main chamber that was littered with cages filled with both live animals and dead ones they hadn't cleared out yet. Gross. It was difficult to remain undetected the closer the three of them came to the cages when the beasts inside could smell them coming from a mile away and snarled, their mouths watering at the prospect of fresh meat.

At first the bandits just ignored them and one even kicked one of the cages to make them stop their infernal growling. However, when Noir managed sneak close enough to open the saber cat's cage and set it loose they realized something truly was amiss. At least the saber managed to kill at least two of the bandits before it was stabbed in chest with a great-sword. Clearly it was too weak from hunger to do much more damage than that. And when Noir and Bishop tried to pick off the remaining three with their arrows and bolts, unfortunately, they were finally spotted by someone who raised the alarm. Although this was kinda pointless since most of them were dead now…

Up until then Karnwyr stayed by their side without making a sound while the two of them were sniping the bandits. He was used to that because Karnwyr did this whenever he was out with Bishop during a hunt too. Once their cover was blown though he eagerly leapt into the fray along with them. Noir had a bit of difficultly towards the end fending off the last bandit wielding a large hammer while Bishop was making his way through the maze of cages to reach the pit but thankfully, like many times before since rescuing the exceptionally loyal wolf, Karnwyr saved her at the last minute and landed a killing blow when he tore the bandit's throat out…

Exhausted from the unexpectedly long journey through the cave fighting wave after wave of bandits, the three of them finally made it back outside only to find that it had grown dark already! Noir whimpered when she saw this, disappointed in herself more than anything for getting carried away, then rushed back down to the road to check the sign so they knew which direction to go again. Damn it, she was such an idiot! They pretty much wasted the rest of the day venturing into a single cave. It should have been a quick trip in then out again with whatever loot they found but now, it hardly seemed worth it.

"We should keep moving," Bishop suggested, his tone soft but serious. "Technically we did clear out that cave and could stay there for the night. But going back would only waste more time. As dangerous as it is traveling at night I don't think we have much of a choice. With any luck, we'll still make it to Ivarstead today even if it is dark."

Shoulders slumped, Noir sighed deeply then nodded. "Alright."

* * *

It was late but by some miracle the three of them finally made it to town and headed straight for the inn, asking for a room and a hot meal. And the nice thing about small village inns was that most owners don't care what race you are or where you came from, they're just eager for the business. Unlike the inn at Kynesgrove however, the innkeeper wasn't exactly overly-friendly and eager to please but rather…resigned to how things were here in Ivarstead. Business was always slow and very few travelers passed through their village unless they were pilgrims about to make the trek up the 7000 steps to High Hrothgar.

The innkeeper also mentioned he was very troubled about the ghost lurking in the Nordic ruins within throwing distance of the village that was also discouraging travelers from staying very long. When Noir heard about this ghost while the innkeeper was serving their food she smiled and told him she would investigate it as soon as they returned from High Hrothgar. Thankfully he didn't ask them why they were going up there, assuming the two of them were just more travelers making the pilgrimage. He never could have guessed they were going because Noir was the legendary Dragonborn the Greybeards personally summoned to the mountain top almost a week ago.

She winced when she realized it had taken them this long just to get to Ivarstead. It felt very disrespectful to have made them wait so long. But Noir hoped that-the Greybeards being Nordic monks or something-they would be more than forgiving of her tardiness. Being the Dragonborn carried a whole new set of responsibilities for one person and doubtless many insisted on calling for her aid. Besides, Noir managed to slay another dragon along the way and that was one less dragon out there to kill innocent people, so surely that counted for something…

This was normally the time when Noir would dig out her journal and start writing once they had a room or a tent set up for the night but she was too tired to bother with it and decided that this might be a good time to get to know Bishop better. She already felt she understood Karnwyr well. He was loyal, protective of his master, playful and curious, and he craved attention as much of not more than Bishop did from her. Karnwyr took an instant shine to Noir after she saved him and healed his wounds, which honestly surprised her and Bishop alike. After all, Noir was still a Khajiit, aka a cat. Not that he seemed to care about that though, in fact, Karnwyr seemed to like her more because she was furry too and they shared a lot of the same basic instincts and playfulness, strange as it may seem. Oh well. It was better than him seeing her as a meal like every other wolf they've met so far.

Noir couldn't remember if she'd said so or not but while scratching the wolf behind the ears, she smiled softly, "Your wolf is really sweet Bishop. I'm surprised he's so friendly with me. I mean, I've always loved animals but even I think this is a little bizarre…"

Smiling over at her sitting beside him, even if was only until they went to bed for the night and she took the other one much to his disappointment, Bishop replied, "He likes you. You know why?"

Noir tilted her head a little to the side then asked, "No idea. Do you know why?"

"You're not afraid of him like the others." Bishop answered, observing Noir as she watched Karnwyr settle down for the night and curl up on the floor.

Standing up and making her way to her own bed on the opposite side of the room, Noir laid down on her side and smiled, "Once you understand an animal, you don't need to be afraid of it. I basically said the same thing back when we killed the bear just past Helgen. They're incapable of hatred unlike people, though they do have natural enemies. It's just a matter of showing them if you're an ally, prey, or the enemy."

"You see?" Cupping his hands in his lap as he leaned forward, meeting Noir's golden eyes with his own, Bishop continued with a smirk, "And THAT'S why you and he understand each other. You understand what he is, what he does. But most importantly, and this is the most important, you understand what he's capable of doing."

"Why do I get the funny feeling you're not just talking about Karnwyr?" Noir mused with a soft chuckle. "While we're on the subject, I've been wondering this for a while now. How did you become a ranger Bishop?"

Stiffening, Bishop responded carefully, "Why the sudden interest?"

Noir shrugged, resisting the urge to counter his question with another question and decided to answer honestly. "Well we've been together this long and I just want to get to know you better."

"Ahh, princess, you don't have to hear my life's story to do that." Bishop told her, his amber eyes smoldering with a barely-contained desire.

Now it was her turn to tense up, recalling the incident in the alchemist's shack when Bishop cornered her which made Noir blush deeply at the mere memory of his closeness. Not that Bishop could tell she was blushing unless he was paying close attention to the color of her lips or the light greyish skin turning slightly pink on the inside of her pointed ears. Ignoring the heat still burning her cheeks, Noir folded her ears back and pouted, "Aw come on, just answer the question."

Slightly disappointed she didn't take the bait on his invitation, Bishop sighed as he stared up at the wood ceiling. "Ugh, fine. How did I become a ranger? Like why anyone else sells themselves. I was raised with the skills. The difference is that I was taught them to survive, not for profit. Not an…honest kind of profit, anyway. I started ranging about…seven years before we met. Word got around that I could track runaways or hunt meals for fat, lazy nobles…whatever. I didn't plan on it but they had gold and I had a bow, so I became their ranger." Looking back down at Noir again, Bishop asked in turn, "What about the illustrious woman before me? You're so nosy about my life."

Laying down completely now to get more comfortable, Noir answered calmly, "I'm sure you've already guessed as much given my unusual appearance but I was born in Elsweyr. The first few years of my life I spent tucked away with my parents on the outskirts of our village in the Tenmar Forest. But it wasn't long before I lost them and went to live with my aunt and her tribe. We were happy together for at least a few years until…something happened and I wound up in Skyrim. I've been here ever since. I couldn't return home so I've been hunting and doing some of the same things you have most likely, just not as often since people don't trust my kind. I tried traveling with one of the Khajiit caravans once but that didn't work out. Because, well, just listen to me," Noir laughed humorlessly, "Haven't you been wondering why I talk so…human rather than like other Khajiit's? You know, saying things like _'this one grew up in the great green forests of her homeland'_ or _'Noir thinks you smell like a wet dog?'"_

After hearing that last remark, Bishop gave her a dirty look.

"What? I'm kidding! You smell fine! Really nice actually all things considering. Although you could use a bath," Noir laughed again, this time genuinely.

After an awkward moment of silence between them, Bishop finally snorted, "Elsweyr huh? You don't say! Well, I've gotta say, I never actually met a Khajiit FROM Elsweyr. The sands probably got too hot for your asses, right?" Growing somber again, he continued with a shrug, "You know what, our pasts are our pasts. We're not going to make the future any better by going on about them. As for the present, wasn't there somewhere we had to be going? Some long-lost hat to be retrieving? No? If all else fails-"

"' _There's always the inn.'_ You always say that. I swear Bishop, are you sure you're not a drunkard instead of a ranger? Every time we head anywhere civilized that's the first place you want to go!" Noir complained, though she clearly wasn't all that serious about it. "The first day we met you were drinking too or at least tried inviting me to drink with you. Maybe I should start calling you _'drunkest'_ just like you called those two men in Riverwood _'drunk'_ and _'drunker.'_ "

"Yeah well maybe instead of the Dragonborn I should start calling you Fuzzyface," Bishop smirked, earning himself a dirty look in return. "Hey. Don't dish it out if you can't take it darling. Anyway, we've made it this far so…let's get this over with and see what those old fossils want with you. Maybe then you'll stop acting like someone's about to pull your tail if we're any later getting there. Well if it's any consolation, if they do I promise I'll slice their hand off for ya. The only one allowed to chase your tail around is me."


	7. Weight Of The World

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Took a bit of a break from Skyrim in general after posting that long chapter and some personal reasons so I have a bit of catching up to do. I also noticed that I tend to end the chapters at an inn or while they're camping but it just sort of happens, I don't exactly plan it that way. Still, in this chapter we'll finally get into some more romance so hope you're ready!

* * *

Chapter 7: Weight Of The World

* * *

Sometimes Bishop had to wonder if the real reason why he kept waking up before Noir so ridiculously early in the morning wasn't so he could feed Karnwyr, but because he wanted to see Noir's care free expression when she slept. As powerful as she was because of the whole Dragonborn-ness, lately Noir seemed apprehensive about something. Well, besides the obvious uncertainty about meeting these Greybeards since from what she told him, she wasn't a native of Skyrim and didn't fully understand certain parts about their Nordic beliefs. Even Karnwyr picked up on it and had moved closer to her bed some time during the night. Bishop would have gladly curled up with her too last night but Noir wasn't having any of that nonsense…

But, was it nonsense?

Admittedly Bishop enjoyed teasing her about her womanly charms a little too much, but she was always so quick to dismiss his compliments and not take them seriously out of embarrassment. That more than anything infuriated him. She was everything he looked for in a real woman, fiery, passionate, determined, smart, and beautiful. And sometimes Bishop despised those very same qualities when it came to Noir because he wasn't used to having a woman say no to him. Perhaps it was only his pride as a man that made him both relish the challenge of winning her over or perhaps there was more to it, mainly that he was having his own reservations about their current relationship and there were parts of it Bishop seriously hated about it…

For one thing, since day one Noir was constantly putting her life at risk every time they faced an enemy and for what? For the greater good? To make this world a better place? To survive? Because of some bull-s*** destiny she needed to fulfil? He just couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that anyone would willingly take on so much responsibility without wanting anything in return, not even a simple thank you. In the end, why was Noir so dead-set on doing all of this…?

Well, whatever the reason, Bishop knew one thing for certain now. He…trusted her. Trusted her enough to finally give Noir some insight about his past. And judging from the things she told him in turn about her past too, Noir trusted him too. They kept certain details about their lives vague of course, but even so, this was a big step forward for them both. The only question was, was Bishop ready to take a risk on Noir and take things one step further…?

* * *

"How do you feel about surprises?" Bishop asked her out of the blue later that morning.

Noir was adjusting her eyes to the morning sun glaring down on them the moment he opened the door for them so she lowered the map in her free hand and didn't reply right away. Once her eyes adjusted, Noir lowered her arm to hold up the map properly again and glanced at him with a smile and laughed, "Surprises? I love them as long as they're not ambushes. Those aren't fun at all unless you're the one doing the ambushing. Why? You in the mood to prank someone? What did you have in mind?"

Bishop chuckled at her enthusiasm, as reflected in the playful swish of her long tail, then replied, "If I tell you it won't be a surprise. Come on, get your nose out of that map and just follow me." He then proceeded to snatch the map from her hands and fold it up again, deftly slipping it back into her satchel and grinned boyishly at her.

Raising an eyebrow, Noir poked him in the chest and warned, "This better not just be an interesting stump you found. Remember, we've still got plenty of things to do."

Looking at her with mock disappointment, Bishop pouted, "Ah, damn how'd you guess? No, seriously, come on. It's better than a tree stump."

She wasn't sure what he was up to but when Bishop took her by the hand and began leading her out of town, Noir's heart gave a nervous flutter. There was something about Bishop that seemed different today. The playful lilt in his voice was warm, almost gentle, a far cry from his usually snarky tone. Their talk last night, did it really make this much of a difference in their friendship? If so, then that made Noir very happy.

His hand was so warm and she was tempted to snatch it back the moment he let go once they reached the path leading to where he wanted to go. Noir resisted the urge to pester Bishop with questions and kept close to him. The path was faded but judging from his stride this was a path Bishop was used to taking, like it came second nature to him. They were walking along the outskirts of a lake with a small island in the middle where another ruin sat nestled in the middle of it. While Bishop wasn't looking she unfolded her map again and marked it for later when there was time to go exploring.

Neither of them said a word but it didn't take long before their goal was in sight. Perched on a hill overlooking the lake sat a watch tower littered with aspen trees that swayed gently in the breeze. There were people there, and at first Noir began feeling a little uneasy about them when at first glance they looked like bandits but it turned out they were just guards dressed like that because they were undercover.

A few of the guards waved curtly at them as they made their way up to the tower itself and paid Bishop no mind at all, to the point of completely avoiding eye contact. That puzzled Noir. Why did they look at Bishop like that when he walked by? Was that pity in their eyes? What in the world was this place? Why did Bishop want to bring her here…? For a moment, Noir hesitated and fell behind a bit when Karnwyr rubbed against her leg and licked her hand, his tail wagging. He seemed as comfortable being here as Bishop did so was this place important to them…?

Realizing that she was lagging a bit too far behind Noir told Karnwyr to follow and sprinted to catch up with Bishop. When he knew exactly where he was going the man could move surprisingly fast! Then again, Noir was fairly sure Bishop had a mental map of where the nearest inn was at all times, rated by the quality of their booze. He asked her once why she didn't drink but at that point Noir wasn't ready to admit the embarrassing truth. Maybe one day, if Bishop proved he wouldn't take advantage of her in such a deplorable state then maybe they'd share a drink.

Bishop was waiting quietly for her in front of the stairs and glanced back before resuming the climb up. Was he planning on going all the way to the top of the tower? From a distance, it didn't look it but this place was rather high up. Not that she was afraid of heights, far from it in fact. Noir loved looking down at the world either from a rooftop or high up in a tree because it made her feel so free and reminded Noir of her home in Elsweyr. Maybe that's why Bishop decided to bring her here?

Well, only one way to find out…

Just as Noir opened her mouth to comment on the amazing view, Bishop told her, "Well, here we are. It's no Throat of the World but it's mine. Well, partly mine, a long time ago. My first home in Skyrim."

Moving to stand beside him to peer down at the valley below, Noir and Bishop stood there in silence for a few minutes simply enjoying the view. Ironically, they could see most of the landmarks from places the three of them-once Karnwyr joined the group that is-traveled together. Noir could see the faint outline of the road where the Giant's camp was to the right as well as the rooftop of the inn in Kynesgrove, and nestled between a river leading out to see and the snowy regions further north sat Windhelm. They could even see Ivarstead from here, that's how high up they were.

"This place is beautiful Bishop. And that view! But, why did you bring me here?" Noir asked him curiously, though she was unable to hide the uncertainty in her voice.

"This is where I found Karnwyr as a cub," Bishop began, his voice thick with emotion which for him wasn't something he showed in front of anyone, until now. "I haven't been here for…Damn, always feels longer than it actually is. I've never brought anyone here before."

Noir's eyes widened for a second in surprise and her heart gave a little leap. She felt so happy that Bishop wanted to show her something so personal. That meant a lot to her. More than he could ever know. Smiling softly, Noir said, "I don't know what to say but thank you, this place must mean a lot to you."

His gaze softened and stepping a bit closer, Bishop confessed, "Yeah…yeah it does. This tower's still standing because of a man I once knew…He's…gone now. Anyway. I made the first good decision of my life here, I wanted to make you a part of it…Ugh, I'm still not being clear, am I?" Noir's heart started racing faster as realization began to dawn on her but she kept silent, waiting for Bishop to continue. Taking her gently by the shoulders, Bishop stared into her eyes with earnest and told her, "You're here because…Trust doesn't come easy for me. To me, this is the most important place in Skyrim. I wanted you to know…"

It took everything Noir had to contain the tears threatening to spill over her cheeks as she replied softly, "You…trust me?"

"Yes, sweetness I do and so that leaves only one question." Stroking her shoulders rhythmically with his thumbs, Bishop smiled and asked calmly, "Are you willing to do the same, to trust me?"

Trying to hide her embarrassment and stop her emotions from spilling over in the form of tears, Noir laughed whimsically, "I'll trust you until you steal my sweetroll."

With a low chuckle as if to say, _'that's just like you,'_ Bishop leaned in, his eyes gleaming as he said mischievously, "Not your sweetroll, no. I'm planning on stealing something else right now…"

Before Noir knew what was happening Bishop lips came crashing into hers. At first Noir stiffened, a chill rippling up her spine that made her fur stand on end. But then she melted into his touch and began kissing him back. The rest of the world, her troubles, everything, seemed to fall away until there was only the warmth of his skin, the scent of his hair, and the distant sound of leaves rustling in the wind around them…

This jerk, he knew all along that this would be Noir's first kiss and was as selfish as ever for wanting it for himself. In the heat of the moment however, she didn't mind at all. Noir wanted this to last as long as possible for fear that any moment now she would wake up and this would all be a dream. She wanted to remember the taste of his breath, the feel of his hands snaking down to the small of her back, everything.

As they kissed though Noir couldn't help but wonder why she was giving in so easily to him stealing her first kiss. What was it about traveling with Bishop that made trusting him so easy? Was it because he never treated her like anything less than what she was as a woman and a warrior? Was it because Bishop made her feel safer than she had in years simply by being beside her? Whatever the reason, this was going to change everything between them whether Noir liked it or not. And at least for now, she liked it very much. But he had another thing coming if Bishop thought for one second this meant she would let him go _'all the way'_ just yet…

Once their lips parted and Noir caught her breath, she blinked and blurted out idiotically, "You just kissed me."

Raising an eyebrow, Bishop snorted, "You only just noticed?"

Her cheeks burning, Noir exclaimed, "It was kind of hard to miss!"

"If I'd known you'd react like this I would have done it sooner." Bishop laughed, letting go of her hips. Clearing his throat and looking away in a random direction, he commented shyly, "Yeah, so…I'm not exactly a romance kind of guy. Come on. Let's get back out there. Dragon's aren't going to kill themselves."

Again, trying to hide her embarrassment, Noir retorted, "Yeah that'd be the day. At the mere sight of me the dragons decide to kill themselves rather than let me absorb their souls. It would certainly make my job easier…"

* * *

Since there was still time to spare before the climb, Noir decided to get the ghost investigation out of the way so that by the time they returned from the top of the mountain they could truly relax for a while. That is, depending on whether the Greybeards sent them on some urgent quest as soon as they got there, which Bishop was almost certain they would. One doesn't become a living legend without carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. And surely these Greybeards summoned Noir up for a reason, an important one…

Still, exploring the ruin turned out to be-dare he say it-fun. As it turned out, the so-called ghost was just some dark elf posing as one using a special potion. At least that's how it started out. According to his journal he was trying to keep everyone away from the ruins while he searched for the dragon-claw that would open the path leading deeper inside where the true riches were surely buried. Over time however, he forgot himself and legitimately believed he was a ghost destined to protect the tomb from any and all invaders.

Noir was either very brave or very stupid for wanting to test out the potion he used to look like a ghost on herself. Well, better her than him since Bishop couldn't stand magical concoctions like that. At most Bishop would use a healing potion but that was about it, anything else like potions to see in the dark or turn invisible, there was no way he'd touch that with a five-foot spear. But Noir was already comfortable with that sort of thing since she was known to use magic on occasion, not often though and she hardly considered Shouting magic. At least, not the Shout's she knew now.

Until the potion's effects wore off Noir was having a lot of fun acting like a spooky ghost, waving her arms and moaning like a man dying in agony. Karnwyr just kind of watched her, tilting his head to the side and wondered if she hit her head on something. Bishop was on the same page and watched Noir mess around with a silly grin on his face. It was nice to see her acting adventurous and playful again, they'd need that sort of mind-set going up that damned mountain. It was going to be boring unless the two of them found some way to make the journey more exciting when they weren't looking out for wolves and whatever else they'd encounter along the way…

Once they got out of the ruin, it was straight back to the inn where Noir explained what happened without popping the second bottle of the potion they found since it might prove useful later and handed him the journal. He was embarrassed to say the least but rewarded them for their efforts and to deepen the irony of the would-be-ghost losing his mind looking for the dragon-claw, the innkeeper gave them the very same claw he'd been searching for. After that, it was back to the ruins one more time to clear it out and claim the treasures within. Noir even learned a new Shout, though it wasn't one that she felt was particularly useful but only time would tell.

* * *

"There we go," Noir smiled when she tried on her new hood with a shorter cloak that draped around her shoulders so the wind wouldn't send it flailing in every direction during the climb. While she was at it Noir even made a new hood for Bishop too since his armor was plenty warm enough on its own. "How's the fit Bishop?"

The ranger simply shrugged, "I still don't see why you went through the trouble of crafting this, I told you before that the cold doesn't bother me all that much. I am a Nord after all."

Slipping her hood off and shaking her hair free once she knew the ear-holes were in the correct places, Noir reached up to lower Bishop's hood too. "Maybe down here it doesn't but we're going to be climbing up the tallest mountain in Tamriel right? And _'The closer you are to the sky, the colder it becomes.'_ That's what one of my clan-mates always told me. I know I'm going to be freezing my tail off even with my _'built-in-fur-coat'_ as you so eloquently put it so forgive me if I don't want your otherwise naked face to get frostbitten."

Laughing, Bishop remarked, "Is this revenge for me calling you Fuzzyface?"

Noir shook her head, "No, it's called concern Bishop. I really don't know how cold it will be up there and I don't want to have to carry you back down if you black out from the sheer cold."

"My hero," Bishop replied sarcastically.

Noir sighed and rolled her eyes, ears drooping slightly. "Ok, point taken. I know you're not that weak but just take the damn hood, I'll feel better knowing-" Her words were cut off when Bishop tilted her chin up and gave her a light kiss.

"I'm joking, don't get so uptight ladyship. I'll be just fine. I know plenty of ways to keep warm, like imagining you naked in my bedroll," His eyes gleamed dangerously as if to prove he was serious but then Bishop just laughed. "Just say the word and I'll carry you up the mountain myself if you get too cold. But seriously, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. It's you I'm worried about. You sure that cloak will be enough to keep YOU warm?"

"Probably, or maybe I can just imagine YOU naked," Noir snapped, playfully sticking her tongue out.

"Ah, is that so?" Bishop cooed, grabbing her chin again. "Why imagine it when I can make that reality for you?"

"Thanks, but no," Noir replied, readjusting her pack and pointedly turning away from his infuriating grin. "Well, here we go. We're off to see the Greybeards! Let's do this."


	8. Dovahkin

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Wow, I did NOT plan to be away from Skyrim for this long but as per the norm these days, I had lots of real-life drama to deal with. Plus I was playing Enderal again until it got irreversibly messed up and since I was at a point that I REALLY didn't want to start the game over from scratch, I came back sooner than I planned. Or so I thought but then the drama happened and there wasn't much breathing room until recently to even do that. At any rate, now that I'm back I've only just got around to setting up my mods again and have been trying to fix a few unexpected glitches without much luck. Even though I got my Noir save-file backups to work, there are a few annoying texture glitches I can't seem to fix and also I'm way behind in the actual story events I need to write compared to where I am with Noir in-game in the save files that work. Luckily I have screenshots for this chapter from before I switched to Enderal, however, once our trio gets back down the mountainside I think I'll be skipping ahead again and glossing over the boring travel stuff so keep that in mind. Now with that out of the way, enjoy this belated new chapter of Hunter's Creed!

 **P.S.** As a bonus, I remade Noir's younger preset and will be taking screenshots to highlight small snippets of her past so I'll likely be posting a few of those on my Deviantart soon. Be on the lookout!

* * *

Chapter 8: Dovahkin

* * *

Bishop chalked it up to Noir just being shy about their kiss and wanting to focus on getting up the mountain, but they didn't talk much during the climb. That, and Noir decided to do this climb traditionally in case that was part of some test the Greybeard's had in store and read each tablet they came across. It wasn't until they were halfway up that the weather decided to take a turn for the worst and a blizzard swirled around them, the wind clawing at them and biting their skin. Now Bishop was thankful for the simple addition of a hood to cover his head since it was bitterly cold even by his standards up here.

Turned out that Noir was right to brace herself for the worse during the climb but that didn't stop her from complaining about the cold when they paused to take a breather after an ice wolf got the jump on them. She Shouted it right off the ledge and it broke its back down on the path below, staining the snow bright red. It was obvious that Noir was getting nervous, which surprised him, so Bishop decided to ask her about it hoping it might help. What she told him surprised Bishop even more…

"I know it's hard for anyone to see during a snowstorm but it's even worse for me. The snow is so damn white it's blinding! I usually wear a blindfold to help with that but figured it'd be too dangerous to rely solely on sound during the climb since the wind is howling in my ears too, might end up walking straight off the mountainside," rubbing her arms to warm them even the tiniest bit, Noir sighed. "I'm sorry I keep complaining so much Bishop. Bet you're wishing you waited for me back in Ivarstead huh? By a warm fire nursing your ale and not stranded up here with a crazy Khajiit woman."

"Don't worry about it," Bishop shrugged. "I'm curious about what's up at the top of this mountain anyway so it isn't a TOTAL waste of my time. Besides, you've been so antsy about seeing these old fossils that frankly I want to get this over with so you'll relax a bit and stop walking around like the literal weight of the world rests on your shoulders. And yeah maybe it does, but that care free-smile of yours suits you best, not this troubled scowl."

 _Is he…trying to cheer me up? Wait, what scowl is he-_ Noir began when she noticed a change in the wind and looked up. "I think the storm is dying down a bit."

Bishop looked up too and nodded, "You're right. Well then let's get moving before it kicks up again."

Just as Bishop started down the path again, Noir smiled and grabbed his arm so he slowed to a halt. Looking into her golden eyes which still seemed to burn even in this cold weather as snow clung to their bodies, Bishop waited to see what she wanted when her cold lips met his cheek.

He blinked, staring at her and then asked, "What was that for?"

Smiling Noir replied, "Nothing. I'm just glad you're with me." Then without another word she took the lead again and sprinted down the path, eager to get to the top now that her energy was renewed. Bishop and Karnwyr followed, the prior enjoying the lovely view of Noir's hips as she ran.

* * *

After dropping off the supplies that Klimmek asked them to deliver in a chest in front of the temple since he wasn't up for the climb -though Bishop's first instinct told him the old man was just a lazy bum- Noir, Bishop, and Karnwyr ascended the stairs and stopped before one of the ornate stone doors. With a sigh and a quick glance back at her two companions, Noir knocked on the door...

Only silence answered.

After a few minutes of standing there patiently in the cold Noir took another breath and opened the door herself. They were the ones who called HER, but after coming all this way it was only fair that someone should be there to greet her. Surely if they could sense the Dragonborn from all the way up here then they knew she was coming. Then again, it did take Noir awhile to make it here to meet them in the first place.

Unsure of whether or not they'd allow Bishop and Karnwyr inside Noir lowered her hood, rubbed her numb ears a bit to warm them up and said, "Bishop, would you mind staying here for a bit while I talk to the Greybeards? I won't take long. But if I do I'll make sure they don't kick you two out in the meantime," smiling as she pictured one of the Greybeards Shouting Bishop out the door on his rear, Noir pat Karnwyr on the head and waited for his reply.

"Don't keep me waiting too long," Bishop replied, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "If you do then one of these fossils might up and die on you."

"Bishop! Don't say things like that," Noir scolded. "They may be old but according to the Jarl of Whiterun they're powerful and wise so I doubt they'd die so easily from something as mundane as old age. Anyway, PLEASE make sure you two behave yourselves. The last thing I want to do is spend the rest of the day climbing back down the mountainside for nothing."

* * *

Stepping across the threshold into the heart of High Hrothgar, Noir was approached by one of the Greybeards. As expected, they were indeed very old men with skin like wrinkled parchment, and yet Noir could clearly see the youthful glint of wisdom in their eyes when they each met her curious gaze. A flicker of surprise crossed one or two faces but Noir kind of expected it. The last thing anyone expected was for the Dragonborn of this age to be a woman, and a Khajiit woman at that. The only way this would be more ironic would be if she'd been an Argonian instead!

"So...a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age."

Taking a calming breath, Noir nodded. "I'm answering your summons."

After a moment's pause, the man replied curtly, "We will see if you truly have the gift. Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice."

 _'I should have known they would ask for proof,'_ Noir thought to herself, shifting position to face him a bit more properly. _'But really, how many fake ones would be willing to -let alone able to- trick the Greybeards into thinking they're Dragonborn and would willingly go through the trouble of trekking all the way up here? Oh well, they want proof? I'll give them proof. I just hope they're really as durable as I think...'_

Without dwelling on it too much, Noir loosed a Shout on him and the Greybeards behind him also staggered a bit but didn't go flying across the room. Much to Bishop's disappointment she was sure. The vase behind them wasn't so fortunate, and shattered against the stone wall behind them, making her wince. _'I hope that wasn't irreplaceable.'_

Paying the vase no heed, the Greybeard that addressed her before nodded in approval then introduced himself. "Dragonborn, it is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now tell me, Dragonborn, why have you come here?"

"Why?" Noir wondered, thinking it was obvious. "I came here to find out what it means to be Dragonborn..."

"We are here to guide you in that pursuit, just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you," Arngeir replied.

Feeling a strange chill ripple up her spine for some reason after hearing this, Noir asked, "You mean...I'm not the only Dragonborn? There might be others?"

He nodded. "You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed that gift upon mortalkind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age...is not ours to know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far. That is all I can say."

* * *

Once those formalities were out of the way as part of their next trial one of the other Greybeards taught Noir the second word to Unrelenting Force -the Shout Noir learned when she first found out what she was- and Arngeir instructed her use it on several illusionary figures to see how quickly she could master Words of Power, which all Shouts were made of three of them. Resisting the urge to smile and swish her tail proudly when Arngeir praised her about how masterfully she did during the first test, Noir thanked him politely then asked what was next. To that Arngeir simply stated that the next trial would be in the courtyard and told Noir to follow another of the Greybeards outside.

Frowning at the thought of going back out into the cold, Noir finally it was time to speak up about Bishop and Karnwyr, who were both waiting for her in the foyer. With a notable sigh since he was probably displeased that Noir neglected to mention their other uninvited guests, Arngeir called over to the Ranger in question.

"We were not expecting any other visitors aside from the Dragonborn themselves, but seeing as you are already here as her companion, I'm willing to let this small infringement pass as a sign of good faith. As long as you show this place the respect it deserves you are welcome to rest here and await the Dragonborn's return. Your...wolf however, I must ask that you keep especially close watch over him. Am I clear?"

Scoffing a bit while at least trying to hold it back, Bishop nodded, "Clear as crystal. Now, where's this rest area again?"

With another sigh, Arngeir pointed to the left.

"Thanks pops," Bishop grinned then headed off in that direction.

That was so like Bishop. Unlike Noir, he wasn't afraid to be more than a little casual with these old and respected monks. But in a way Noir was thankful for that. It helped her relax a little bit herself even though she clearly had much more tact.

"Sorry about him. That's Bishop and his wolf Karnwyr," Noir smiled as the duo disappeared around the corner. "He's...a good man. But his manners aren't exactly top notch compared to his skills with the bow. I'm still working on him."

"No matter," Arngeir said dismissively, making his way towards the back door to join the others. "As I said, allowing him to stay here is more for your sake than his. After all, you did come all this way and the mountain can be quite perilous. We should have anticipated that you might not be traveling alone, so that was an error on our part. Now, let us proceed. After you, Dragonborn." He said, holding the door open for her.

And with that, Noir once more stepped out into the cold. Taking her first steps towards finally realizing what she was truly capable of, and what role she would play in the days to come against the growing dragon threat. Surely this would help her become a little stronger and understand herself better. That's all Noir really wanted out of this. She really didn't want to get sucked into the inner politics of the Nords here in Skyrim and these Greybeards. What mattered was finding answers and finding out what Noir could do to protect the people of this land. No, of this world, before the dragon threat became too big of a task for her to handle alone. In which case...searching for a second Dragonborn might be a welcome idea after all...


	9. The Green Eyed Beast

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Honestly I'm not sure if I'm happy with this chapter but it's too late to start over now. I just pray that Noir's reaction to some of Bishop's teasing is believable and not too...immature. Guess I'll try to figure out a way to improve things in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless and seriously, if there's anything I can improve on please share!

* * *

Chapter 9: The Green Eyed Beast

* * *

 _I've completely lost track of time now. I lost track of it somewhere during my journey with Bishop so I'm not entirely sure what date to write down today. Honestly I can't even keep track of every little thing we do or how many enemies we've come across since we started traveling together. We're always on the move so I hardly have any time to write anymore. Not that that's a bad thing. I just hope he doesn't regret how 'lively' I've made his life..._

 _As expected, Bishop wasn't too happy when he found out we had yet another fetch quest on our to-do list before this whole thing came to a close. Just like he was afraid of from the very start. Once I mastered the new Shout outside High Hrothgar in the courtyard Arngeir gave me the task of retrieving the horn of someone named Jurgen Windcaller and bringing it back to them in order to complete the trials so that I would be fully acknowledged as the Dragonborn as decreed by Nordic tradition._

 _At least now I understand why I'm able to do all these amazing things with my voice alone. The things Arngeir told me about being Dragonborn and about dragons in general explains so much. At the same time though I'm glad that it doesn't really change who I am. Bishop told me as much before too; that it will be my actions, not my title, that will define who I am from now on._

 _If I'm being completely honest, that's a relief. I didn't want them to tell me I had no choice in the matter and that they were expecting me to do everything I was told with no questions asked. I refuse to believe that my abduction back then was inevitable and part of some divine plan that would have brought me here to Skyrim no matter what I did. There are still things I want to accomplish on my own, under my own power, and being the Dragonborn has nothing to do with it, although being more powerful will certainly help level the playing field. Speaking of which, maybe it's time to let Bishop in on the other reason I asked for his help now that I know I can trust him. After all, he trusted me enough to show him his old home that he's never shown anyone but me before. And what's more, Bishop's asked me to be part of his life, but I'm not sure as what..._

Noir paused for a moment to get her blush under control thinking about their kiss before continuing-

 _We didn't waste any time once we got back in Ivarstead like we originally planned to. After spending one last night there the two of us charted a course to Whiterun using a shortcut I told him about. That way we could avoid that stupid fort that always ends up invested with bandits no matter how many times I clear it out! Whiterun shouldn't be far now and Bishop is off scouting ahead so I wanted to write while I had the chance. Because once we get to Whiterun I'd like to see the Jarl and tell him how things went with the Greybeards. Balgruff seems like a good man and he's a good leader who has come to respect me as a warrior once I proved myself against the dragon at the western watchtower which is why I've been named his Thane._

 _After that there's somewhere special I want to take Bishop to. It's not THAT special but I want Bishop to know I trust him enough too to let him see what might be the closest to a '_ home' _I have here in Skyrim. Let's just hope it's not in too bad of shape since I haven't been there in over a month if not longer. It's probably a mess..._

* * *

"How can I help you?" asked a heavily-accented voice the moment Noir and Bishop passed through the doors of the Bannered Mare.

She didn't recognize the man but then again, the last time Noir was here it was straight to the Jarl, back outside the gate to kill a dragon, back to the Jarl to report in, a brief stop by the smithy to repair her armor and sharpen her weapons, then back out into the wilderness once more to get ready to meet the Greybeards. There hadn't exactly been enough time to mingle or rest at the inn. Besides, back when she first came inside the city more than one person either gave Noir curious looks or disgusted glares as she passed by them to speak to the Jarl. And their attitude only changed once she killed that dragon, was declared Dragonborn, and became Whiterun's Thane. At least now people seem to have more respect for her to the point of pretending she was any other patron -which she was anyway- and not an unwelcome outsider like all the other Khajiit. That, and they didn't want to mess with a woman who could Shout them to pieces like Ulfric did to Skyrim's High King. And he wasn't even a Dragonborn and took years to learn the Thu'um!

While Bishop speaking to the cheery innkeeper and making reservations for their rooms, Noir noticed a woman with short hair saunter over to Bishop from the opposite side of the room and blatantly start flirting with him even though he was CLEARLY already with someone. This wasn't anything new, it happened in Riverwood and Ivarstead too but this time it was harder for Noir to ignore for some reason. The woman was practically on top of him!

Noir felt the hackles on her back rise when she snaked her arms up to his shoulders but she said nothing, choosing instead to pointedly ignore their exchange while secretly hanging on that...hagraven's every word with her acute hearing. Karnwyr picked up on the subtle change in Noir's demeanor and whined, nosing her hand gently. In response she absentmindedly pet his head before glancing around the inn searching for a small distraction. It was certainly busy here at the inn tonight because there wasn't a single vacant seat to be found and one or two people were sitting on the floor simply enjoying the fire's warmth whilst making sure no one stepped on them or their food by accident.

There was one patron that caught Noir's attention because of two distinct features, namely the ears and tail peaking out from under their robes. And that scent... even with all the other smells wafting around this place there was something familiar about it Noir couldn't quite-

"Hey, earth to Noir? The bath is this way." Bishop called in a slightly annoyed tone as he crudely shrugged off the needy tavern wench for the umpteenth time -who had introduced herself as Neeshka a few moments ago- since she couldn't keep her long spidery hands off him. Not even after he called her a Flea like five times in a row.

Noir resisted the urge to hiss at Neeshka when she glared at her as she dashed past, even going as far as making a pass at stepping on her tail. She was clearly annoyed that Noir was getting in the way of her advances on a certain ranger. Luckily Noir was more then prepared since that sort of thing happened to her often. People were almost always trying to step on or pull her tail in which case Noir swiftly flicked it out of the way then let it settle back to normal once she was far enough out of their reach.

"No one's getting in here. Not without making a lot of noise and waking everyone up. You can go first, I'll stand watch." Bishop offered rather gallantly which surprised Noir.

Blinking, Noir asked, "Are you sure? Fur takes longer to wash you know and by the time you get in the water will be cold. Why don't you go first since it'll be faster?"

Bishop raised an eyebrow then turned and then smirked impishly, brushing a stray hair from her face, "You offering to share a bath with me Ladyship? How naughty. And dare I say awfully tempting..."

With a sigh Noir brushed him off shook her head with a weak smile. "Fine. Guess I'll go first then."

Noir could hear him laughing as she stepped into the small room. There looked to have once been a door there but the hinges were broken off so she guessed the _'problem'_ that the innkeeper mentioned had to do with a brawl or perhaps a break in of some sort and they couldn't afford to fix it. There were wooden panels blocking everyone's view but Noir still felt a bit self conscious as she timidly undressed behind one. The lighter set of armor she'd changed into while Bishop was scouting was easy to remove and since Noir was rather attached to it she asked Karnwyr to guard it. Though he took it as being allowed to lie down completely on top of it. Oh well, she planned to wash it soon anyway...

What was important right now was that Noir wash herself first.

Checking to make sure no one, namely Bishop, was peeking she slid into the warm water and undid her loose ponytail. Her hair had grown a bit since the last time Noir let it down but she preferred to keep it up and out of her face. Still, it felt nice to run her fingers through it to loosen the knots and free any twigs or whatnot that might have gotten caught in it. Once that was done Noir set to work washing the blood and grim built up on her fur which was no easy task, maybe she should have accepted Bishop's offer because getting it off her back by herself was a challenge.

Wait! What was she thinking?! No! That was just-! Splashing the now lukewarm water in her face as if to clean her momentary dirty mind when she suddenly imagined Bishop washing her back, Noir's ears perked up when she heard Bishop's raised voice from his post at the doorway. It was hard to hear what was being said, even with her sensitive hearing, with the other patrons idly chatting away and the bard thumping away on his drums. Noting the irritated tone he was using though she leaned forward in the bath and strained her ears to hear who he was talking to that was making Bishop adopt such a harsh tone.

Didn't take long for Noir to realize it was Neeshka again. Why was this one tavern wench bothering her so much? Well, she was bothering Bishop actually but still. Ever since that kiss Noir just couldn't see Bishop in the same light anymore like back when he was just a flirtatious play boy who was all about pleasing the ladies who demanded his attention at every turn. At first Noir didn't mind his flirting with other women because he was a grown man who could do what he wanted and she was used to spending most of her down time alone writing in her journal anyway but now...it felt wrong. It felt so wrong to get in Bishop's way but at the same time like the right thing to do so she tried to listen in on their conversation. However, Noir could only distinguish Bishop's voice above the crowd since Neeshka's was low and sultry and she was certainly adopting her most seductive tone in hopes of snaring this prize in her web of lies.

Upon realizing the water was rapidly going cold now Noir stepped out, still dripping, and cast a weak fire spell over the water. Just enough to warm it up again without evaporating it. Noir felt guilty it wasn't that clean anymore but there was nothing she could do about that unless she asked the innkeeper to fetch some more water which would take time and Bishop would certainly notice what was going on. After that Noir coaxed Karnwyr off her armor and brushed off his fur then started getting dressed again. By the time she made it over to Bishop Neeshka had left in a huff which could only mean he finally got her to back off.

Good for him.

Deciding to leave the subject alone for now, Noir tapped him on the shoulder and smiled, gesturing at the now vacant bath and said, "The bath is available now. Go ahead and get cleaned up. And no skipping your hair this time, moron." Ruffling his hair with both hands to pointedly make her point about how messy it was, Noir laughed and pushed the grumbling ranger inside. Karnwyr tried to sneak back inside to join his master in the bath like Bishop wanted to do with Noir, but she cut him off and tempted him away with the prospect of food.

As soon as Karnwyr was happily eating away at his plate of meat, Noir went to stand guard over Bishop too. Though he hardly needed it. Doing so felt surprisingly good, like in a small way she was protecting him from that snake of a woman glowering in the corner. And a scorned woman could be as deadly as any bandit, if given the chance.

So Noir wouldn't give her that chance.

* * *

Noir wanted to let her hair dry before putting it back up so she left it down for awhile and Bishop had to resist the strong urge to gently stroke it and feel how soft it was. Even though it took longer she cleaned up very nicely and this was the first time he'd seen her hair down. Noir must have finished washing faster then she usually did since the water was still warm by the time he got in after her. It made him suspect that Noir was the one cutting corners but she looked perfectly clean at first glance.

He was grateful that she went out of her way to distract Karnwyr too so he could enjoy the bath without getting his fur in the water as usual or the splash spilling most of the water on the floor leaving hardly a puddle behind to wash in. Well, not that there wasn't ALREADY fur in the water since Noir was covered in it too. But at least she tried to clean out as much of it as possible so he'd actually get cleaner and not dirtier in the bath.

Bishop idly wondered if Noir heard anything he said to Neeshka as he went about washing his hair first, smiling at the memory of her hands brushing the top of his scalp. He wanted more of that. More of her. Even it was only her warmth beside him in bed and nothing else. There was no chance of that though. Not yet at least until she opened up to him more. After all, Noir told him near the start of their journey that she asked for his help for another reason, not just as back up while climbing up that blasted mountain. A reason she had yet to share. But Bishop had a strong feeling Noir was going to be telling him what that other reason was fairly soon after seeing that familiar determined glint in her eyes when he came back from scouting ahead before they made it here to Whiterun.

It wasn't until after they were done eating that Noir confirmed his suspicions about her listening in when Neeshka slinked back over to him. "So, this is a nice tavern." She began, trying to sound indifferent and casual.

Shifting his position to lean on the nearest post he smirked, "First time huh?"

Noir nodded and crossed her arms, staring unfocused at his chest. "Yeah, I've heard a lot about this place but it's the first time I've actually been inside."

As if advertising his wares, Bishop proclaimed, "Whiterun, home to some of the best taverns in Skyrim! What do you say we open a few flasks and drown em in wine?"

Smiling humorously despite herself, she replied. "No thanks. I'm not ready for you to see me drunk yet. It's...not for the faint of heart..." Noir trailed off and picking up on her discomfort, he dropped the subject. But now he REALLY wanted to see what she was like drunk now that his curiosity was piqued.

It wasn't long though before Noir moved onto the next question leading up to the real one he knew was coming about Neeshka in particular. "Find any of these tavern girls to your liking?"

"I have my eyes trained on a better target then some flea bitten tavern wench." He shrugged, crossing his arms too.

"Are you saying that you'd rather be with a woman who's covered in the blood of her enemies that could knock you flat?" Noir asked, actually half serious about this question.

Bishop noted how her eyes lit up ever so slightly and her tail flicked momentarily in anticipation of his answer, only to deflate slightly when he joked. "Mmm...not the perfect woman is she? Mores the pity..."

Frowning more obviously now, Noir finally snapped, "Well THAT tavern maid seemed quite taken with you."

 _Oh? So Noir actually CAN get jealous? Hmm, well then lets see just how far we can push this before she admits it._ Thinking this to himself Bishop also adopted a look of indifference and replied, "Must be my animal magnetism."

"I've noticed," Noir huffed, glancing away from him down to the other patrons below their perch on the balcony where the _'secure'_ room was. They decided to eat there as opposed to the storage room where Bishop was sleeping or the floor since all the chairs and tables were taken and this one was only available to the one who rented this room for the night.

"Is that right?"

"Well, this is YOU we're talking about here," Noir blushed slightly, finally looking him in the eye. "That woman, Neeshka right? She came to you while I was bathing?" There was a pause before Bishop said yes, making it obvious he wasn't going to elaborate. Looking a bit confused by his blunt answer she prodded, "Ok? Um, can you tell me what the two of you were talking about?"

"Being nosy isn't very ladylike you know," Bishop sighed in mock-exasperation.

"Bishop! Come on, just tell me," Noir whined with a hint of real worry in her voice, her ears visibly drooping. She was obviously conflicted about getting the information, and was trying to figure out if she WAS jealous or not.

So wait, is the the first time Noir has-

"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the jealous one! And here I thought Neeshka was the one who was jealous of YOU, not the other way around."

"What...? That's ridiculous. I'm not..." Noir began unsurely when his stupid condescending smirk started to make her fur bristle. Why wouldn't he just tell her? What was the big deal? Why didn't he want to tell her? She really wanted to know how he really felt but then Noir seemed to resign herself to the fact that Bishop wasn't going to answer her and sighed, averting her gaze again. "You're not going to tell me anything...are you?"

Feeling a bit guilty now about making her second guess herself but knowing it was too late to back down and spill, Bishop simply answered, "No."

Rolling her eyes as hard as she could she turned on heel and snapped, "Fine! Be that way. Here, you take this room. It has enough room for two!" Then she stomped off to the food storage room, unshed tears of frustration burning behind her eyes.

Karnwyr, who was oblivious to the whole thing, looked up at his master and tilted his head. Was the cat woman leaving? That's too bad. He really liked her. But figuring it was the same as usual, Karnwyr laid down again and let out a deep breath of contentment after enjoying such a good meal then started to nod off.

Running a hand through his now clean hair, Bishop let out a deep breath as well and said to no one. "Looks like I really screwed up. I totally forgot she's new to all this...subtext. I should have been more careful. Damn it! Why do I even care?! It's her fault for overreacting! It's not her fault that I-"

- _that I'm in love with her._


	10. Far From Home

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** Just a quick note, the follower I used for the upcoming character in this chapter -at least visually if you're checking out the screenshot version on Skyrim Romance's main website- comes from Shadowfake's Follower mod. It took me awhile to settle on which non-custom follower I'd use for this character, and by non-custom I mean he doesn't have a quest, custom voice actor, or anything to him aside from his outward appearance. Simply put he's like a blank slate. I give full credit for the actual follower to its rightful owner and hope it's ok that I'm using him to represent someone in my story.

* * *

Chapter 10: Far From Home

* * *

Laying on the bed in the storage room Noir's half-laden eyes staring unfocused at the wall beside her until some decorative feathers caught her attention. They reminded her of those distant days when she used to weave feathers into her hair. It was such a long time ago, but maybe since Noir was thinking about telling Bishop more about her past too those memories surfaced to the forefront of her mind.

Especially the memory of that man. The one who stole Noir from her home. The man that was even now, hunting her...

* * *

 _Since it was so long ago the memories of her actual capture was blurred, though perhaps that was largely due to the drugs they'd given Noir to prevent her from using magic to try and escape. One day, Noir was minding her own business when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and some sort of metallic potion was forced down her throat. Noir tried to scream for help but strong hands kept her immobile, waiting for the drugs to start working as she thrashed and tried to bite them._

 _When the potion finally took effect Noir felt horribly cold and weak, like she was drowning, then everything went black. There were a few sparse memories in between her brief moments of consciousness such as the sound of several taunting voices boasting about how easy subduing her was and wondering how much much gold they'd get off of her as she lie curled up in an iron cage, then there was the scent of dust and mold as a carriage brought her to the nearest port, and finally, there was the rocking of a ship that spirited Noir all the way across the sea far from her home. A home to which Noir hasn't seen since, nor her aunt or the rest of the tribe so she could only wonder who among them could betray her like this when she did nothing wrong._

 _A few days must have passed before Noir finally became lucid enough to comprehend her situation. She was locked in a small cell next to another stranger in rags who stared at her curiously but otherwise remained silent, keeping to himself. Food was left for her but Noir didn't trust any of it. Not after her captors force fed her whenever the drugs wore off. After all, it was a long journey from that end of Elsweyr to the sea and they didn't want to risk letting Noir escape._

 _Eventually though, hunger won out and Noir tried nibbling on a piece of bread to test it and when it seemed alright she finished the rest. It was cold, but not dry or crusty as expected so it must have been baked recently and brought to her cell. Still, Noir was scared out of her mind. None of her aunt's training could have prepared Noir for this. Sure she knew how to pick a lock but what then? They were on a ship and who knows how far out at see they were now or how long she'd been out. All there was left to do, was wait and pray to the Divines that they returned to land soon so Noir could get her bearings again._

 _Despair set in when Noir sensed someone with strong magic coming closer to where she was being kept. She didn't dare look up to see who the presence belonged to until they came to a halt before her cell door. It was a dark elf mage wearing a dark ash gray -and rather expensive looking- silk hood and robes, fingerless gloves, and golden beads woven into his long groomed beard. And like many dark elves, his eyes shone like rubies in the darkness or a scarlet moon as they peered down coldly at the frightened girl..._

" _So you're the magically gifted Khajiit girl I've been told so much about? Hmm, I was expecting someone much older. Not a mere child. But no matter. Come here," he ordered, waving a hand towards himself. "Let me take a closer look."_

 _And in response Noir shrunk back from them, shaking her head, "Noir does not want to. She wants to go home..."_

" _I'm afraid that is no longer an option. Now come here," the mage asked again a bit more forcefully._

 _Mustering up a little courage, Noir asked him, "Who...are you? Why is Noir here? D-did you hurt her clan mates?"_

 _His face hardening into a hard steely glare, the mage replied, "If you want answers then I suggest you act a little more cooperatively. I will not ask you again. Come here."_

 _Biting her lip, Noir finally nodded upon realizing she had no choice and rose to her feet, swaying a bit since her legs had fallen asleep from being curled up to her chest for so long. Then nervously Noir edged towards the stranger. She could tell he was appraising her with every tentative step she took, taking in every detail down from her sleek black fur, the tribal dress she wore with a sleeveless red top and sandy yellow tasseled skirt, up to her strikingly human face with shining amber eyes and folded ears, each with a white patch on the back of them, and the long black braid she wore her hair in with bird feathers woven in._

 _Swallowing hard once Noir was face to face with him she spoke again, "Well, here I am. Now what do you want with this one?"_

" _Your manner of speech will need to be corrected first I see," the mage muttered under his breath and her ears twitched, having caught every word. Realizing this, he straightened himself up proudly, like some kind of lord, and put both hands behind his back before he replied. "My name is Galius and to answer your earlier question no, I did nothing to that trivial little tribe of yours. The simple fact is that you've been betrayed. Someone from that very clan sold you to me and as of this moment you are my property. Your life, your future, everything belongs to me now. I heard rumors of your unique gifts and was the first to inquire after the rarely colored Khajiit being sold on the black market, with fur as black as the Void itself. You should be thankful my dear that it was I who bought you and not some ne'er do well who didn't know about your other talents and merely wanted a pretty slave or a new pelt for their wall. Believe you me, I have seen and heard of some of the foulest things befalling your kind so consider this a mercy. For what I am interested in is your power. I could tell the moment I saw you that aside from your rarity as a sub-species of Khajiit that there was real untapped power buried within you. With training you could become a deadly weapon against my enemies. And with time you could grow into a fine companion as well. I do not mean this in a romantic sense of course, but merely as one who can fill the silence of my home and tend to the more mundane tasks of daily life. If you serve me well and willingly, you will earn privileges and some freedom. If you disobey however, there will be no second chances. You will become a test subject for my spells and nothing more. Are we clear?"_

 _Fighting off tears, Noir nodded._

" _Good. Then put those useless thoughts of home and rescue out of your mind. That place is no longer your home. I AM your home. I alone with provide your protection and means of survival from now on. And I alone will be the one to hunt you down should you attempt to run from me..." turning his back to her, Galius added, "We will be arriving shortly and I expect you to be on your best behavior..."_

* * *

"Huh, I must have nodded off," Noir mused when she drifted back from her day dream only to realize it had become a full dream when she fell asleep in the middle of reminiscing.

It was still late, since moonlight could be seen peeking through small slivers in the roof and she sat upright. Now that she was calmer about it Noir realized she'd been acting quite childish and wanted to make it up to Bishop somehow. Thinking back on it now maybe it was obvious why Bishop turned Neeshka away. Bishop was probably only proving to her that he was a one woman man now and truly wasn't interested in anyone else. That being said Noir knew what she had to do to show him that she understood that now.

Peeking out of the storage room, Noir listened for any sounds of movement and was thankfully greeted only by soft breathing or the occasional snort and the crackling of the dying fire. After that, well, being a Khajiit had its perks and she silently lept up onto the banister and climbed over the railing onto the balcony where the two of them ate dinner before. Karnwyr of course smelled her and woke up, whining softly at her until Noir hushed him and scratched behind his ears until he practically fell over from leaning into her touch so much.

Smiling once he settled back down and seemed like he still trusted her Noir stood up and peered down at Bishop. He was undoubtedly fast asleep but something about his somewhat stiff posture told Noir he could wake at any time to address any threat to his life. She was once just like that, and at times still was, but it made her sad to think Bishop was still so tense.

Blushing a bit and testing her luck, Noir eased into the bed watching his face for any signs of waking. Little did she know he was already awake but kept his eyes closed to discern who was trying to have a moonlit tryst with him. If it was Neeshka again he swore to all the Divines he would cut that pretty face of hers until she finally got the message that he was taken. However, when a familiar brush of fur passed over his leg Bishop groaned.

"Karnwyr you damned mutt, how many times do I have to tell you? You can't sleep with me on the bed when we're at an actual inn. We're lucky they let you in at all with-" Bishop opened his eyes and stiffened with surprise when it was Noir's face there to greet him and not Karnwyr who was happily snoring away again.

"Hey, I thought you said he wasn't a pet?" Noir smiled, stifling a laugh. "So much for that cover story. It looks like you two DO cuddle a lot."

Bishop rolled his eyes, releasing his grip on the dagger under his pillow while the other hand came to a rest on her shoulder. "Speaking of cuddling...what brings you here Ladyship? I thought you were mad at me?"

Getting comfortable, Noir blushed, "I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself for acting like such a child. Before, back at your old home you told me you wanted me to be a part of your life, that you trusted me. And how did I repay you? I doubted your feelings for me when you let that woman cling to you like that and I didn't know what to think. I just wanted to get mad at SOMETHING other then myself and took out my frustration on you. So, I came here to tell you that...I'm sorry. And what's more, um, that room is really cold..."

Smirking, Bishop leaned forward and kissed her brow. "Apology accepted. And say no more, I'll keep you warm tonight. I guess...I'm sorry too. I forgot just how gullible you are."

Noir opened her mouth to correct him then thought better of it and let Bishop pull her close to his chest. Her heart instinctively began hammering hard against her chest because apart from them kissing she never let him this close to her. Or any man for that matter. It was a little nerve-wracking but nice. And his scent, oh that wonderful scent of the forest and the wilds, it was so easy to relax when that warmth enveloped her. Now she could only hope he was content with this since Noir wasn't quite ready for anything else. From here, it was now Noir's turn to show him her trust. And that would begin with showing him her home the next morning and once there...telling him the other reason she wanted his help from the moment they met.

* * *

"Hey Bishop?" Noir commented while they were packing up their gear and getting ready to head back out of the city.

"Uh oh, here comes trouble," Bishop grinned. "Something on your mind?"

Smiling secretively back at him, Noir asked, "How do you feel about surprises?"

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Bishop scoffed, "Wasn't last night a surprise? I didn't take you for the kind of woman who enjoyed a good tryst. Then you had to go and chicken out on me. So much for being the oh-so-brave Dragonborn."

"Bishop..." Noir warned, her ears going flat against her head even as a blush rose to her cheeks at the memory of sleeping in his arms all night. "Don't make this weird. I'm trying to be serious here. Now then-" she perked up, smiling again mischievously, "-if you behave, maybe I'll share my surprise with you. Or we'll skip it for now and go back to our current fetch quest, your choice."

"Oh Ladyship you are asking for it!" Bishop laughed, taking his chances to tickle her sides a bit. He was in such a good mood after just enjoying her warmth and knowing she wasn't angry at him, just shy and jealous just as he suspected all along. And the fact that Noir was opening up to him, allowing him to touch her in any way besides just kissing was a victory in his eyes.

The sound of her laughter as Noir squealed and squirmed in his arms was music to his ears and he couldn't stop himself from laughing too. Meanwhile Karnwyr started feeling left out and pounced on them both, licking their faces before either of them could push him off. This was a small but precious thoughtless happy moment when they didn't have to worry about anything or anyone else. The world could wait. Bishop simply wanted this moment to last. A moment where Noir didn't have to look so worried or deep in thought about something. A moment where she was a beautiful woman who felt safe and content in the arms of a man who loved her. He wondered at times if she really understood that. They weren't just _'dating,'_ no, Bishop was going to make damned sure that Noir never ended up with any other man besides himself. They belonged with each other, and Bishop had never loved anyone so fiercely as her before, nor would he ever. And this all happened in such a short time to. But with life being what it was in Skyrim or anywhere else in the world, if you didn't strike while the iron was hot, one or both partners would wind up dead...

Ugh! He could take it anymore! Once Noir finally got Karnwyr to back off Bishop pulled her to him and kissed Noir with wild abandon. She flinched in surprise at first then melted in his arms. It wasn't until they were both out of breath that they parted, already tired before the morning even began.

"W-well then," Noir began, patting his broad chest with both hands and averting her gaze shyly. "I'll take that as a yes about making a little side trip?"

Bishop nodded, giving her sides one last playful squeeze before she scurried away. "Yeah, I'd do anything to get out of this stupid mission but you ARE the Dragonborn so this sort of thing comes with the territory." He sighed dramatically. "Mind if I meet you at the front gate? There's something I'd like to take care of before we leave. And before you ask, no I am not exterminating fleas. As tempting as it is to rid the world of that pest. There's some shopping I'd rather get done on my own and there's all the latest junk we've picked up that we keep forgetting to sell off. It's making my pack weigh a ton!"

"Alright alright I get the message," Noir snickered. "I'll try to curb my loot-every-corpse instinct from now on and only keep the stuff we can actually use. So sure, I'll meet you there. I've got something to take care of too. See you in a bit Bishop," giving him one last peck on the cheek, Noir skipped the door altogether and jumped down from the balcony, startling a few patrons. The female innkeeper gave Noir a look but she just shrugged with a smile, waved up at Bishop, then made her way outside.

But not before pausing and giving Neeshka a quizzical look when she heard her mutter bitterly, "You're lucky to have him! If I was you, I wouldn't let him slip through my fingers."

Not feeling obligated to respond, Noir left the inn, wondering where things were going to go between them from here on out...


	11. The Hunter And The Hunted

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note:** I kid you not everything I'm about to write about actually DID happen in my game! Seriously there is never a dull moment in Skyrim! Well ok so a few details were changed to translate into story form but this all happened to me during my recent gameplay session. Granted some of it did not happen in that order leading up to visiting Noir's home, but it made more sense to change things around a bit to suit my needs. Speaking of mods, Noir's first home is from the Hideaway mod by _"jasperthegnome."_ I highly recommend it because it's hidden but cozy and since you build it yourself it can serve as an over time living improvement for your character.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Hunter And The Hunted

* * *

Since it was going to be cold where she lived Noir made sure to change into her warmer set of armor before they left Whiterun. Honestly the trip wasn't going to take very long but a lot could happen on the way there. And oh, happen it did...

Just barely past the bridge to the right of Whiterun to make their way north Noir and Bishop witnessed a Thalmore unit escorting a prisoner being attacked by a Sabercat. Noir of course, instinctively rushed over to help but the threat was dealt with quickly and the Thalmore pressed on as if nothing had happened, leaving the corpse of their dead companion behind who had fallen to the saber's initial attack. Seeing this open display of contempt disgusted her. Couldn't they at least give their comrade a little respect and move the body out of such an embarrassing angle? No warrior, Thalmore or not, should be left splayed out like this by their companions.

She felt bad for looting the body since the others didn't seem to care because hey, every piece of gold counts, but at the very least Noir straightened out the High Elf's body and placed their sword back in her hand. It was a stupid thing to worry about really, especially given how much Noir secretively disliked the Thalmore, but it made her feel better nonetheless. Perhaps a Whiterun guard would discover the body and dispose of it properly but Noir wasn't going to go THAT far out of her way to be civil. Not for the likes of them anyway.

Less then five minutes later Noir saw a strange little man in a jester's outfit moping by his broken wagon wheel lamenting the delay in getting his mother to a new crypt. Noir found his antics amusing and harmless so she offered to help. He seemed ecstatic and danced a little jig to which Noir smiled and went over to the farm as asked to request assistance. The farmer was less then happy with her at first but Noir managed to convince him to help, though he did have a point that that box was awfully large for just your standard coffin. Still, Cicero seemed harmless enough and again, what harm could he do really? The man was a jester for goodness sake! And a small man at that which Bishop graciously pointed out to their reluctant helper. Besides, again, Noir couldn't help but like the quirky little man since it was a welcome change to the bleak Nords they usually met along the road.

After getting a nice reward of _'shiny clinky gold'_ from Cicero, Noir led Bishop to a Giant's camp near the road, giving it a wide berth of course when they heard two mages arguing. Hiding from view, Bishop and Noir listened to their conversation. Or more like a heated argument which soon escalated into a full on magical duel between them. Doing that so close to a Giant's camp? Yeah, not the smartest idea...

"If you think I'm going to let you claim the reward for her capture for yourself you've got another thing coming!" the first mage, a female Breton shouted, shooting a fireball at her companion.

In response the other mage, a female Dark Elf, shoot a few ice spikes in return and then the two started aiming bursts of fire and frost mage at one another. "I already told you we'd share! It's you who wants it all for yourself! You selfish low-some-!"

This went on for quite some time until the two idiotically wound up killing one another instead. Noir could only roll her eyes at their idiocy until while looting the corpses -which Bishop pointed out again should be done more meticulously- Noir discovered a notice in one of their packs which said the following:

 _'As instructed by my client, I have posted this notice to offer a hefty reward of 15000 gold that shall be granted to the first person or persons who captures and delivers the following target to me ALIVE. The target is a female Khajiit with glowing amber eyes, striking black fur, and a noticeably humanoid face. There is no way to mistake her for anyone else. She was last seen near Ivarstead. For further information regarding the target or the reward I will be at the designated Notice Board this was posted on every midnight at the beginning of the week.'_

With a sigh, Noir showed it to Bishop but he figured it was just a normal bounty letter. They'd seen a few others already although this was one of the few that wanted her specifically alive. And these were almost always found in the bandit community since there were a lot of people who wanted Noir either dead or wanted to hold the Dragonborn for ransom. Such was a life of fame he supposed. Noir knew better though, she could feel it, and this wasn't the first mage to come after her looking to capture and not kill her. Even the fact that they were all mages was her biggest clue since those were the ones Galius would be in contact with...

To thwart Noir's plans to go home yet again, a dragon's roar was heard in the direction of the Giant's camp and wouldn't you know it, a dragon appeared. Apparently dragon's enjoyed the taste of mammoth meat so this wasn't the first time she'd seen one try to raid a Giant's herd for a nice plump one. By the time Noir and Bishop got there the Giant was already dead and the dragon was going after the remaining mammoths. It wasn't until Bishop's arrows started flying towards it's face that the dragon took notice of them and switched targets. Two of the mammoth's were already dead while the third had run off wounded in the opposite direction, clearly only a baby, and it didn't know what to do without it's mother's guidance and protection.

Eventually Noir and Bishop put the dragon down and went to see what had become of the third mammoth when it was taken down by a pack of wolves. Tired from their last battle with the dragon and a mammoth who decided to defend itself against them as well before it died, Bishop took a bit of a beating from one of the wolves they were fighting. When Noir finally pried it off of him she sliced open the damned wolf's throat out in turn...

A light snow began to fall soon after and the three of them finally had a moment to breathe and pull up their hoods before it got too cold. Good thing they were close now because Noir and Bishop were both exhausted! He was lucky to still be standing with that nasty gash on his upper thigh from the dragon attack. Unfortunately Noir didn't have enough time to heal it fully before they went to track the remaining mammoth.

* * *

Now that things had settled down for the moment, Noir casually led Bishop to the entrance of her cave home. Yes, a cave. But it was nicer then one one might imagine. She took care of it and over the years made it quite comfortable, all things considering, but the most important part was that it was well hidden. Up until now Noir used the Giant's camp as a natural deterrent for any passerby that wander into this area that might notice something odd about the rock formation where the entrance to her cave was. And when food was scarce -as in she'd picked every snow berry in the vicinity- Noir would sneak past the Giants to take a bit of mammoth cheese.

Eyeing the blood on Bishop's right leg, Noir asked worriedly, "Are you alright? You took a big hit back there."

In response Bishop winced and snapped, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Stop nagging. If you've got a spare healing potion though, I wouldn't say no."

"Sorry Bishop, I don't think I have any. Come on, we'll get it taken care of inside. I should have plenty ingredients to make one," Noir wanted it to be a surprise that they were visiting her home but since they were both dead tired and hurt she just wanted to get them both out of the cold and take a closer look at his injured leg. It was probably not as bad as it looked but when there was a lot of blood that always made things seem worse.

Bishop blinked at her dumbfoundedly and looked around them. "Inside where? In case you haven't noticed princess this is just some rock between a few trees. You sure you didn't hit your head back there? Maybe your the one who needs medical attention. I'd be more then happy to examine you very thoroughly."

Too tired to argue, Noir pointed out the planks of wood behind him and sighed, "In case YOU haven't noticed, those weren't put there by the wolves or Giants. We're in the right place. Now step aside and let me move these." Still confused, Bishop did as she asked and stepped aside, hissing when it made his leg throb in protest when he stepped down a bit then Noir moved the planks aside to reveal a hidden entrance to a cave behind them. "I found this place by accident years ago while trying to escape a violent blizzard and those Giants weren't exactly willing to let me sit by their fire so I curled up in this corner trying not to freeze to death when I noticed an opening and crawled inside. Its surprisingly spacious in here so...come on in. Welcome to my first home in Skyrim, ranger."

Not waiting for a reply this time Noir crawled inside and pulled out a torch to light their way so she could light the candles. As expected it was a little dusty in there but otherwise things didn't look to bad. At least no other animals had dug their way in here while she was gone. Noir led Bishop to a stool by the stove so he could rest for a bit and went around the room lighting the candles. Meanwhile, once things were lit up better Bishop had to admit this place was pretty cozy for a cave. It almost made his old home look like a hovel, which honestly it kind of was but at least he...wasn't alone back then.

Everything in there had a story attached. Like the glass lanterns hanging from the roof and the chandeliers for example. Noir bought those lanterns from one of the Khajiit caravans instead of food once because they reminded her of home and she thought she'd never see them again if they weren't purchased right then, the same went for the rugs and the cloth she used to make her pillows and other bedding. The chandeliers she re-purposed from a Nordic ruin when she realized the lanterns alone weren't giving her enough light at night. There were also several places where Noir figured out how to install some Dwemer pipes to use for two other fireplaces with their own chimneys, one in the small resting area she made with a chopped stump as a table, and the other in the side cave where her bed was. And oh how much Bishop was looking forward to seeing THAT room.

With a sigh, as soon as she was done lighting the entire cave, Noir set down her pack too and tossed the remainder of the torch into the stove then knelt in front of Bishop to take a look at his wound.

"So you really do live under a rock, that explains SO much," Bishop teased but Noir ignored him.

"I don't come here that often any more," she began with a shrug, dabbing away the blood with a damp cloth, "Still yes, this is probably the closest thing I've ever had to a home and I wanted to share it with you. So, um, surprise...? I just wish we hadn't been attacked by everything even remotely hostile in the area. It kind of ruined the surprise but that's life."

Stopping her by placing his large hand over hers and the wet cloth, Bishop smiled warmly, "Yeah, it comes with the territory I'm afraid. Besides you're always attracting trouble so good thing you have me around to keep an eye on you now eh? I have to admit though I'm surprised this place is as well kept as it is given that patch-work armor you used to wear all the time. With how much gold it must have cost you to get all this moved in here you'd think you could afford some decent armor."

Glancing over at the more expensive looking items near the desk over to their right where all of her enchanting and alchemy equipment was, Noir frowned and stared at the floor as she told him, "If you're talking about the alchemy table and most of those glitzy items over there they're...not mine."

"Oh? So you DO dabble in the occasional thievery? Guess you're not so innocent as I thought. Good to know that even you know how to have flexible morals on occasion," Bishop joked again but then found himself frowning when Noir wasn't taking the bait and hissed at him. "Whoa lighten up there Ladyship! I didn't mean anything bad by it."

Noir shook her head and sighed again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's not that...I just..." trailing off, Noir rested her head on Bishop's hand and muttered, "I took those things from a man I thought was dead for a very long time ago, a part of my past I tried to forget. We both of some secrets we'd rather keep to ourselves but...because it's you..."

Not realizing how tired she was Noir fell asleep right then and there and nearly slipped off Bishops lap, though he managed to catch her in time. As troubled as he was about her sudden change of attitude Bishop couldn't help but feel more protective then usual all of a sudden. Also, a heated jealousy towards this mystery man made Bishop's blood boil. Noir sounded afraid of him, even now, and there was clearly something that had been bugging her ever since those two female mages did each other in. Then there was that time with the high elf mage too that set Noir on edge. Just what was it about these damned mages that made her so nervous when it was no secret she could also cast spells?

Whenever they fought bandits or the like Noir was as poised to kill and collected as ever. When it came to mages though, at least the last few they'd faced, something seemed to dredge up painful memories.

He knew all about that.

Either way, it looked like Bishop would have to finish taking care of his leg on his own while Noir slept. So, fighting through the pain he scooped her up bridal style and laid her down on the bench on the other side near one of the fireplaces after removing her daggers and setting them on the wooden stump acting as her table. He wasn't up to carrying her all the way to the other room with his bad leg right now though...

Wandering over to the desk, Bishop checked her stash of herbs and other ingredients to see what was still usable and set to work making some salve to stop the swelling, and if there was time brew a few healing potion to speed up the healing process. Too bad Bishop was only removing his greaves for the purpose of bandaging his leg but once that was taken care of he got redressed and popped a few healing potions before putting Karnwyr on watch so they could both rest for a bit. Borrowing a few pillows from the bench, Bishop made himself comfortable on the floor, glancing up at her sleeping face so that it would be the first thing he saw if he work up first, just like this morning in Whiterun. He could only hope that soon, sharing a bedroll would become as natural as breathing and then maybe, just maybe, they could take things a step further. For now though they were both safe and Noir surely had another reason for bringing him here. There was something important she wanted to tell him. He could only imagine what it was and prayed to the Divines that he was right because Bishop wasn't sure how much longer he could restrain his NEED for her.

* * *

Eventually Bishop did move Noir to the bed because she was dead to the world and didn't wake up when he expected her too. Luckily there were plenty of pillows around so he made himself a comfortable place for himself on the sofa opposite from her bed. Noir's room was in a side cave with a bookcase positively stuffed with books, and Bishop quickly realized that most of them were her journals. Wow, she was such a dedicated scholar! Maybe one day they could publish these and sell them as _'A Day in the Life of the Dragonborn'_ or something stupid like that.

Then again, speaking for himself Bishop was really interested in finding out more about Noir aside from that she was born in Elseweyr. From the sound of things she didn't exactly leave that place willingly because there was always a hint of longing in her voice when she talked about it. He couldn't help but wonder what happened that made her come here of all the places...

Just as he was about to nod off, Bishop heard Noir gasp in her sleep then whimper fearfully. Well that was new. Usually Noir wasn't scared of anything so this had to be one dozy of a nightmare. He was worried but didn't want to risk being Shouted into the nearest wall so Bishop tried to ignore it. After awhile Noir quieted down and Bishop sighed in relief. Now he could finally get some sleep too.

About an hour later Bishop jerked awake to the sound of Noir screaming! Ok, the joke was over, this was obviously something more serious so with a huff he rushed over. _'Damn she's sweating bullets!'_ Bishop thought, kneeling beside her in a panic. _'This is bad, think Bishop! You've got to wake her up without winding up kissing rocks when she-'_

"NO! LET GO OF ME! AUNTY! SOMEONE! HELP!" Noir shouted, tossing her head to the side where he was, her eyes searching wildly beneath those long tear dusted lashes.

 _'Ok that's it!'_ Bishop scowled and then yelled forcefully, "Wake up! Wake up!"

Jerking out of her dream Noir's eyes snapped open and locked onto his worried ones. "B-Bishop? Whats..."

His expression returned to a neutral state once he saw that Noir was alright and alert again then Bishop sighed and frowned, "What was that all about, woman? Are you trying to attract some predators? No, don't answer that, I don't want you getting the idea that I care or something. I just couldn't sleep with all that screaming of yours."

Still shaken by her nightmare, Noir replied, "I...guess I must have had a nightmare." Sitting up in bed, Noir put her face in her hands and took a deep breath. She was still shaking, Bishop could see it clearly but didn't want her thinking he was being overprotective. Noir could handle a little nightmare he was sure. That didn't stop him from wanting to hold her close and banish whatever was bothering her.

* * *

"So, you ready to talk about it?" Bishop asked after relighting a few candles and offering a seat beside him on the couch, the bed would have been better but that bookcase made him feel crowded. Noir nodded silently then sat down beside him, lighting touching her cheek to see if they were still wet from crying.

"I'm not blind. Something's been bugging you ever since we left Whiterun..." Bishop began but didn't push the subject. If it was so bad that she was having nightmares about it, then it was something Noir needed to bring up of her own free will. "Please tell me what in Oblivion is going on with you."

With a sigh, Noir lowered her hands and gripped both sides of the cushion she was sitting on and braced herself. "I didn't want to tell you like this. I was going to tell you as soon as we got here but since I was exhausted after all the fighting we did yesterday basically at my front door I didn't get the chance to. The truth is, I'm being hunted."

As expected, Bishop scoffed, "Really? Gee I didn't notice after the last dragon that swooped down on us."

"No, Bishop, you don't understand," Noir explained with a pained look on her face. "This has been going on a lot longer then you think. I've...actually been on the run ever since I escaped from the man who brought me to Skyrim against my will when I was about thirteen years old. His name is Galius, a dark elf mage. He's the one who more recently put out that bounty notice asking for my capture, I'm sure of it now because it specifically states that I'm to be brought back to him alive. Heh, I'm surprised he still wants me alive since I nearly killed him to escape. Then again, he only sees me as his 'property' and was never someone who wasted their investments. To be perfectly honest I really did think he was dead. But then recently, more and more mages have been sent after me even before I found out I was the Dragonborn and Galius is the only mage I know who would have that much of an interest in me. Not romantically, but he always treated me like..." biting her lip, she closed her eyes and continued bitterly, "Bishop, he treated me like his pet. Like I was his most prized well-bred steed or something. Do you have any idea what being treated like an animal is like, even for a Khajiit? Its humiliating and I was forced to live like that for a long time. I was rewarded when I obeyed him, and harshly punished if I didn't. I was constantly being groomed and put on display as his priceless gem or his little feline princess stolen from Elseweyr that was secretly being trained to become his most powerful weapon and outwardly displayed as nothing more then an exotic slave. And the reason he found me in the first place is because someone from my aunt's tribe that took me in betrayed me and put me up for sale on the black market as a rarely colored, magically gifted, dagi-raht khajiit because they were jealous of my magical gifts and rare coloring. In a way, Galius was right, if anyone else would have bought me from that horrid place I could have been raped or much worse. This is why I need your help. This is why I hired you in exchange for helping rescue Karnwyr. I need to know where these orders are coming from and use them to track Galius down so I can make sure he's dead this time. I only got away the first time because he left me with some of his underlings and looted one of their cheap daggers that I stabbed him with then ran for my life, never looking back. I know what you're going to say, why didn't I do that earlier since I'm a skilled tracker too? But the problem is that he knows me too well. I need someone he doesn't know to help me catch him off guard so he can't elude me like the other times I've tried. Galius doesn't like setting traps, he likes to be the one with all the power without getting his hands dirty out of some warped sense of honor. He won't come after me himself, no, he'll send out his goons and others to do the grunt work if only to remind me of what he told me the day I became his property, that if I ever ran from him, he would hunt me down till the end of my days just so I would one day die knowing...I belonged to him. That I will never be free again."

"Gods that is messed up," Bishop replied, maintaining a stunned calm even though he was seething inside. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

Tearing up, Noir shook her head, "I was scared, alright? I wasn't planning on becoming this close when we first met but now you're important to me Bishop. And because you're important I don't want you getting killed because of me and I didn't want to get you involved. But after you said you wanted to be part of my life and showed me your home, telling me that you trusted me, I knew I had to do the same. I had to show you how much I trust you too which is why I brought you to the closest thing I have to a home and finally told you the other reason I approached you that day. I needed a tracker just as skilled if not more so then I am in some ways to help me find and kill Galius so that there's nothing holding me back anymore. I've embraced my destiny as the Dragonborn, but I won't be able to reclaim my life and freedom until Galius lies dead and cold at my feet. And I hate that this is what it'll take to make him stop chasing me. As selfish and stern as he is, Galius did his best not to be true cruel to me and he doesn't want me dead. He simply wants my power. Just like everyone else either wants it or wants to destroy it. And he's merely trying to reclaim what Galius still believes rightfully belongs to him. Me."


	12. Assume Nothing

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.

 **Note (01/06/2017):** Quick note, sorry I haven't updated in forever, been busy and my Skyrim was being dumb and not working properly. It seems to be ok now but there are parts I'll have to redo in-game. Aside from that luckily I took plenty of story screenshots before the problems made the game nearly unplayable so here ya go! And again, sorry if parts of it feel rushed but seriously, we've all done the main quest a million times so you know the drill. This story isn't about the game quest, its about the romance between my DB and Bishop so that's the main focus. I wish I could make a video of the game instead like everyone else but my laptop is a potato and can't handle recording with all the mods I have on, meaning you'll have to settle for the story and screenshots in the special version over on the Skyrim Romance Website. By the way, 3.1 is out so if you haven't updated then get to it! We've still got Forbidden Love and the Casavir Romance mod to look forward to as well and if I EVER manage to get through this story I have a new DB I want to write about for the latter one and an AU version of Noir for Cael because come on, she lived in a tribal setting, he lives in one now, it only makes sense that they'd feel connected through that. Anyways, please enjoy this new super belated chapter!

* * *

Chapter 12: Assume Nothing

* * *

"How can you still be scared of this creep?" Bishop asked, honestly taken aback by the whole confession. "You're the Dragonborn for pity's sake! We've slain who knows how many dragons and I've seen you slice open more than one throat of anyone who tried to hurt you. Is Galius really that bad or are you just going off what you remember about him from when he had you under his thumb?"

Noir sighed, looking at Bishop with a mixture of sadness and uncertainty, "Probably not but still, Galius is the reason aside from the usual why I mostly kept away from people. Sure I took on jobs, but..." resting her head on his shoulder, Noir closed her eyes. "You're the first person I've let myself become close to in a long time too. I've never told anyone this before. So now we're even I guess."

Bishop scoffed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze, "Oh hardly! You owe me a lot more then that for dragging me all over the place like this. If anything I've been itching to know what's been bugging you so I can do something about it. If this guy's giving you so much grief I'll gladly stick and arrow through his heart for you."

Smiling softly, Noir flicked her tail happily and said, "Thank you for understanding Bishop." Clearing her throat and leaning back up, wiping her eyes once Bishop let go she asked, "So what now? We still have to get the horn and return to the Greybeards. Should we plan our route now or try to go back to bed?"

Looking slightly disappointed when she pulled away Bishop shrugged it off and stretched his arms and legs, settling back into place with a groan. "I dunno about you but I'm still pretty sore from that last fight where everything was out to get us so lets hit the hay. We can talk more in the morning. Unless..." smirking, he leaned over and whispered huskily, "...if you're worried about having another nightmare I could join you in bed, whatda say?"

Not expecting an honest answer, Noir stood up and glanced down at him, a slight blush on her cheeks. "If you think you'll fit in my bed too I don't see why not. I could use the company..."

Bishop blinked. "Wait what? You realize I was kidding right? I might not be able to settle with just holding you, Noir. Not when you've shown me this new side of you I've never seen before. Don't tempt me to take advantage of that weakness."

"You won't," Noir smiled confidently, taking his hands. "I know you better then that Bishop. And now you know me a little better too."

 _'This woman is going to be the death of me',_ Bishop grumbled as Noir led him to the bed, letting him settle in first so she could curl against his body, enveloped in his warmth.

As much as Bishop wanted to tease and seduce her while they were so close, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what but maybe for tonight at least Bishop was content that there was something he could do for Noir that no one else could, especially since she was the Dragonborn. She was a strong warrior and a skilled huntress, growing stronger by the day, and yet at heart Noir was still a naive but deeply loving person who believed in the good of others even when they mistreated her. At least to a degree. This idiot was even justifying what her own captor did for Divine's sake! Well whatever happened next Bishop was going to make that b****** pay for reducing Noir to tears like this when he should have done himself a favor and STAYED dead. Now he was going to make sure of that, for Noir's sake. And maybe then Bishop could make his next move on her.

That is, if he managed to hold out that long...

* * *

The following morning they didn't talk much but Bishop watched Noir like a hawk as she went about preparing breakfast. She seemed more relaxed although there was still clearly something on her mind, though Bishop assumed she was wondering what they'd do once they finally found that blasted horn. Why Noir felt so obligated to get things done right away he'd never know. Then again maybe this was a result of what that damned mage put her through. If Noir didn't finish her task in a timely manner perhaps he-

Bishop growled at the very thought of it which made Karnwyr look up at him quizzically. Noir gave him a glance too before resuming her preparations. Once their food was done she placed a plate on the ground with some of the mammoth meat they carved yesterday for Karnwyr and set two bowls of stew with the same meat on the little table made from a tree stump.

What happened last night was so awkward and embarrassing, even though it was Noir's intention to tell him more about her past once they settled in for the night. The last thing she expected was to wake up screaming which resulted in that little heart to heart chat and Bishop consoling her. At least Noir was right about Bishop being gentlemen enough not to try anything too...intimate while she was feeling vulnerable. Although, much to her further embarrassment Bishop had shifted positions a few times during the night and Noir could have sworn he'd unconsciously leaned closer, breathing hotly in her ear which twitched and made her feel flustered and dare she say a little too excited as his hands slid across her stomach and then stayed there the rest of the night.

While Noir was cleaning up their dishes, Bishop stopped her and finally asked, "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Setting down the empty bowls, she looked at him curiously, offering him a seat again but he refused which only piqued her curiosity. "You wanted to talk?"

With a loud huff, Bishop replied with an annoyed tone, "Yes if you can find the time between your dates with dragons and Daedra."

Taken aback by his irritated demeanor all of a sudden Noir decided to hide her growing uncertainty by joking, "You can talk, but I didn't say I'll listen."

"What'll it take then? Communicating through dance? Singing like a brain-dead bard? Because in that case, forget it." Bishop scowled. But then he surprised Noir by smiling and adding, "Though if you mean dancing naked, princess, that you might get me to agree to."

"Bishop, what-" Noir began when he adopted a more serious tone and cut her off.

Taking another step closer to her Bishop said, "Alright enough distractions. We both know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm done playing your little word games."

Understanding finally dawned on her about what he meant and Noir's shoulder dropped as she exhaled a sigh of relief. _'Men, I should have known...'_ Smiling playfully, Noir replied, "That's a good one Bishop. You really had me going there for a second."

Smiling back, Bishop laughed. "You think I was joking? Maybe you need some more convincing. So screw the _'lines'_ and let me show you instead. I never did like to waste words when actions speak so much louder."

"You really think of me that way?!" Noir exclaimed, forgetting all about her little act as her ears betrayed her deep blush and her tail went completely still.

Staring at her in disbelief, Bishop snickered, "You're THAT surprised? I think of you in many ways, ladyship. If you don't see that yet then I have other ways of making that perfectly clear. But first..."

Trailing off, Bishop closed the distance between them and pulled Noir to him by the waist with a swift but gentle motion. And when she didn't pull away or protest he searched her eyes for that spark, a hint that she felt the same away before stealing her breath away in a kiss. It started off as a normal kiss but before long, Noir deepened it first by wrapping her arms around his neck, inviting him to do the same. Bishop happily obliged and slid his hands up and down her sides, tracing her curves and then settling on the small of her back right above the tail. She gasped involuntarily when her tail twitched and a ripple of heat rushed up her spine.

Their kiss seemed to last forever until finally, Bishop withdrew his lips from hers, eager to see her expression. "Mmm not bad at all, for a start. I say we do that again and finish what I started."

Her expression hardened though and shoving him away Noir wiped her lips with the back of her hand and snapped in a dangerously low voice, "Don't get ahead of yourself ranger. Touch me like that again without permission and you're dead! I told you before, I'm not some needy tavern wench who hasn't had any action in awhile! So keep it in your pants."

Growling in that familiar low and annoyingly sexy voice, Bishop challenged haughtily. "I just love it when you play hard to get. Trust me, you'll want me and then you'll be all mine. That I can promise you. Never give a hunter a target, ladyship. And you just gave me an irresistible one."

Rolling her eyes, Noir shoved the empty bowls into his hands and scoffed, "I say... nice try, but no. Keep on dreaming ranger boy."

Calling after her when Noir went to retrieve their packs Bishop grinned, "And dream I do. A hunter loves a challenge, sweetness. You'll want me soon enough."

"Shut up and clean the dishes already, we're leaving in five minutes!" Noir called back, still trying to calm down after that close call. She'd have to be a little more careful from now on. It was just like Bishop warned her before, men are beasts, and he was perhaps the most dangerous one of all since he already had his sights on her and no one else. Question was, did Noir want to be caught or not...?

* * *

Now that they were more then halfway to the ruins where the horn was, most of their journey was thankfully not quite as eventful as the day before. Well if you didn't count the bandit fort in the middle of the road where Noir sniped most of them with her new crossbow while Bishop killed a few stranglers, giving her a wide berth since she was still a little irritable after that brash display this morning.

You'd think Bishop would have learned by now not to push her buttons but that was half the fun of traveling with her. As for the rest, he'd be lying if Bishop didn't say he had been hoping to get a little action last night only to be left hanging again. Well, it looked like Bishop had to up the game a little bit then and start teasing her in new ways. A suggestive glance here and there, a sensual touch on the hand and waist while he offered to help cook dinner, perhaps risking a kiss on the neck, the possibilities were endless.

Since they left most of the extra loot back in Noir's cave home to make room for whatever treasures these ruins held besides the horn, the two of them decided to bypass Dawnstar for now and maybe visit it after their little venture. It really didn't take long to get to the ruins once they cleared out the bandit fort and to their surprise, a group of necromancers had made a home there using bandits to mine for metal and such.

Noir and Bishop decided to eaves drop on them for a bit when a commotion started down the passage to their left. The two necromancers hurried down the path, excited that their companions had come across something valuable but the only thing they found was a bloodbath. There were Draugr everywhere! And most of the necromancers were already dead at that point...

Wanting to conserve their own energy for the fight against any survivors, Bishop and Noir hung back and watched until there was an opportunity to strike back! It came sooner rather then later and it helped erase any lingering frustration with Bishop because Noir was excited by the thrill of battle and seeing who could land the finishing blow. After that things smoothed over and Bishop started making his usual jabs which Noir mostly ignore because hello, she was WAY more light-footed then Bishop could ever hope to be being the lumbering Nordling he was!

At any rate once they made it past the main chamber there were only Draugr to worry about so since they'd done this dance before the two of them really did make a game of seeing who could snipe the most of them before being spotted. It surprised them though when a few Draugr were found already dead, or rather double-dead, from deep cuts of a blade rather then a fire or lightning spell.

Neither of them thought much of it at first and continued down to what felt like the second to last chamber where Noir felt the thrumming of a Word of Power which they took a small detour to obtain before heading back up to a strange gated area. By then Noir was growing a little impatient and wanted to get this over with so after testing a few ideas and searching the area once it was clear of the undead, they discovered that the trick was using that new Shout the Greybeards taught her, Whirlwind Sprint. It was easy after that to make it past the gates and turn off the mechanism so that Bishop and Karnwyr could follow...

Not long after they had to exterminate several oversized spiders which took forever when they had to avoid the fire traps too gushing flames from the ground. Taking the hint Noir used her own flame magic to burn down the spider webs in their way so that they could proceed. It seemed like they were in the home stretch. There were pillars that rose from the water on either side as Noir, the Dragonborn, came near and she dashed to the podium, eyes sparkling at the thought of reaching their goal...

Only to find that someone had beaten them to it.

"Ugh! I thought we had it!" Noir moaned, angrily snatching the note that was oh so carefully placed where the horn should have been.

Bishop however was used to being blind-sighted so he took this whole mess with a little grain of salt and sighed, "Well whoever it was knew exactly what they were looking for seeing as the rest of the valuables are still here. So, what does it say?"

Glancing down at the simple letter, Noir read, "Dragonborn, I need to speak with you. Urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you. A friend."

Crossing his arms, Bishop pointed out, "I've been there dozens of times and I've never heard of an attic room before. Must be a code of some kind."

"Right," Noir nodded, folding the paper and sighing. "Sorry I got irritated again towards the end. And you were right about one thing, they did leave the rest of the treasure for the taking so this wasn't a complete bust. I don't know about you but I think we give Solitude a visit to gather our thoughts. So how about this..." pulling out her map, Noir said, "Since we're closer to Solitude we'll start heading there once we get out of this place and then I can ask around about the Ship Galius hired when he first brought me to Skyrim, it might give us a clue on what he's been up to if he still deals in exotic magical goods. In the meantime you can enjoy a drink at the bar and we can sell off some of the items we found. Sound good?"

"I think it'd be more fun if you actually joined me for a drink instead and we can ask about the ship later," Bishop smirked. "We'll see what happens I guess. What about the note? Are we going to go there or ignore it? For all we know it's a trap by Galius which means he knows you're the Dragonborn now and isn't going to hold back anymore."

With a shrug, Noir replied, "This doesn't seem like something Galius would do so I think this is someone else entirely. And anyway I need to get that horn to complete the trials with the Greybeards. I can't ignore this and they know it. But I'm thinking that since we'll be able to afford it we'll just hire a carriage because I for one am a little tired of going back and forth everywhere on foot..."


End file.
